The College Football Playoff (CFP) National Championship at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla., drew more than 62,000 fans on Monday, Jan 20, 2026.
The event was so massive that it drew nearly 20 million viewers across the nation, and the players never forgot what got them there in the first place.
It’s no secret that much of the media surrounding college football has been centered on Fernando Mendoza, and for good reason.
Fernando has become a household name across the country, especially among Catholics, as he has displayed his faith on the field and on the sidelines numerous times.
His demeanor and star-studded talent on the field also brought him the Heisman trophy during the regular season.
However, Fernando Mendoza was not the only “big-name” Christian on the field. Miami quarterback Carson Beck has also been open about his Christian faith.
His testimony is shaped by his own journey through rehabilitation after tearing his UCL during the 2024 SEC Championship while at Georgia. The University of Miami ultimately persuaded Beck to transfer following his surgery, where he went on to become the Hurricanes’ quarterback despite initially being unable to throw a football.
However, Carson bounced back, much of it credited to his faith, and completed a season that was nothing short of a movie for the Hurricanes, chiseling their way through the playoffs as the No. 10 seed.
In a video posted by SportsCenter with more than five million views, audiences can see both Fernando Mendoza and Carson Beck dropping to their knees in prayer on the field before the biggest game of their lives.
No amount of money, no pressure from viewers across the globe, and not even the weight of the moment itself deterred these two quarterbacks from giving praise to the Lord on a national stage.
For it was God who allowed them to be there, leading their teams – even through all of the trials and tribulations they had faced up to that point.
Comments praised the two, saying,
“This is what it’s all about, love to see it.”
“All glory to God!”
“This is the example that needs to be set for our youth!!”
And in moments like this, we are reminded of Matthew 6:19–21:
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and decay destroy, and thieves break in and steal. But store up treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor decay destroys, nor thieves break in and steal.”
Let us pray that no matter where these quarterbacks find themselves in the future, they will continue to serve as reminders to all of us that no matter how big the moment may seem, God still conquers and deserves all the praise.