The Boise State running back who has become a serious contender for the Heisman Trophy with video game-like stats says his identity is in Christ, not football. Boise State's Ashton Jeanty leads college football in rushing yards (1,248) and rushing touchdowns (17) for the No. 15 Broncos (5-1) and has rushed for at least 175 yards in all but one game, piling up 192 yards against Top 5 Oregon and 259 yards against Washington State.
His 208 yards-per-game average is 52 yards more than No. 2 on the list, Iowa's Kaleb Johnson (156). Las Vegas odds say he's a major contender for the Heisman, if not the favorite.
Jeanty, though, has remained humble.
"I like to say that I'm a Christian cleverly disguised as an All-American running back," Jeanty said in a video posted on his social media account. The video included an interview he did with FCA.
"I've learned that God has blessed me with amazing talents," he said. "I've just been able to do a lot of great things with it, but at the same time not losing yourself and understanding that my identity is in Christ."
A junior, Jeanty was No. 8 in yards per game last season (112) and chose to stay at Boise State rather than transfer to a bigger-name school, which potentially could have given him more NIL money. Boise State, he said at the time, "changed my life by believing in me when no one else did. I love this city and the people here."
He grew up in a Christian home in Texas.
"My mom and dad instilled faith in me as a kid," he said. "Growing up, I never really understood what it meant to have a relationship with God. I felt that I was being more religious than spiritual. I decided one day that I was going to open my heart up to God and really let there be change."
Boise State, he said, allowed his faith to grow and thrive.
"My first year here was definitely my hardest year, being away from family, coming all the way, thousands of miles, to Boise, where it's cold. I mean, I'm from Texas. I like the hot weather, so there was just a lot of change I had to deal with," he said. "I fell into a deep depression, and I didn't really have a strong relationship with God. But once I decided to give my life to Him and change my ways -- it's been an ultimate transformation since I came here. Coaches, teammates, just people around the city asking me if I'm going to go to church, asking me how I am on my faith.
"I could see, even before stepping foot on this campus, that God had His hands on this program," Jeanty added. "I could see that Christianity was a big thing here and that guys were real big on their faith. I learned to embrace that. And all the guys and people around the facility have embraced me in that way, and it's just been amazing. And learning that you don't have to be perfect to come to God, but all you have to do is trust in Him and have faith in Him, and He will change your life. Everything that I'm doing now is because of that.
"Obviously, I've been able to do some great things on the field. But beyond that, He's changed my life. He's changed my views and my personality. I wasn't really a man before; I was just a boy, but now I feel as if I'm a man and a man of God."
Photo Credit: ©Instagram/deuce.2x_
Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
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