‘Playing To Honor God’: Baylor Athletes Find A Higher Calling

Churches are not the only institutions that view baptisms as a stat line.

After years of athletes giving their lives to the Lord, Baylor University has also started keeping count. Baylor athletes wear their faith on campus as proudly as the names on their jerseys.

“There’s not very many schools across the country that have a competitive athletics program that combine that with a faith-based mission within the school,” Baylor quarterback Sawyer Robertson told The Daily Wire. “Fortunately, Baylor is one of those schools that does that.”

The largest Baptist school in the country has baptized hundreds of athletes in the last five years alone.

Credit: Baylor Athletics

“Being able to be a part of the athletes’ lives and their spiritual journey is one of the coolest things about working at Baylor,” Head Basketball Coach Scott Drew told The Daily Wire.

Drew has been at Baylor since 2003, so he’s seen many lives changed.

“We have close to 26 campus ministries. The local churches are packed with Baylor students on Wednesday night. At Sunday church service … there’s probably 500 to 1,000 college kids every service I’m there. At the end of the day, it’s because we have great leadership at Baylor University.”

The football team’s faith took the spotlight this season when 10 players were baptized by teammates.

Moments Like This Last Forever.

Last night, 10 of our own took the next step in their faith through baptism ????⬇️ pic.twitter.com/U9U6GNRe0x

— Baylor Football (@BUFootball) November 5, 2025

Robertson, who leads the team on the field, helped baptize some of the players, including his former receiver, whom Robertson baptized before Thanksgiving.

Last night, Monaray Baldwin returned home to Waco and publicly declared his faith in Jesus Christ through baptism. #SicEm pic.twitter.com/MmGLI3lCvO

— Baylor Football (@BUFootball) November 26, 2025

“How it normally goes is when a player decides that they want to get baptized and give their life to Jesus, they get to decide who baptizes them. So it just happened that three guys wanted me to do it. That’s not something you turn down.”

Robertson also baptized Nate Bennett, his backup quarterback.

Credit: Baylor Athletics

“He’s awesome,” Robertson said. “He’s like a little brother to me, and he would get mad if I said that, but I only say that because he’s younger than me, so I think I’m allowed to say that, but I love him so much.”

The baptisms are part of a player-led Bible. About 5-6 small groups meet on Tuesdays to study a video series put together by a teammate. This semester, it was organized by a safety on the team, Michael Allen. The team studied the book of Genesis and looked at Joseph’s life. Robertson said a lot of the team related to this one, which may be why it was the largest group they’ve had commit their lives to Jesus.

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“Joseph is sold by his brothers because they were jealous of him. Then he gets accused of something that he didn’t do, and gets thrown in prison for two years, and then he eventually always works his way up to second in command of Egypt. The guys are just like, ‘How did he stay the course? This is incredible.'”

Robertson calls leading the Bible study a “calling.” For some players, the football team’s Bible study may be the first one they’ve been part of.

“That’s been definitely the most fruitful thing,” the quarterback continued. “You can kind of tell based off the questions that are getting asked when you break off into small groups. People have said they had no clue this was a thing, like they didn’t know about this.”

I interviewed @BUFootball Quarterback, Sawyer Robertson, on the recent player-lead baptisms. 10 Baylor Football players were baptized at the end of their Bible study. Story Sunday on @realDailyWire. pic.twitter.com/Nnmf5ca13K

— Lynden Blake (@LyndenBlake) December 5, 2025

The Bible studies are held anywhere there’s room at the athletic complex, including team meeting rooms and locker rooms. The same goes for baptisms. Coach Drew has baptized so many of his players over his 23 years in Waco — sometimes right on the court — that the team now has a baptism wall honoring all the players who have dedicated themselves to Christ.

Credit: Baylor Athletics

“Our chaplain baptized five players on the way down to the University of Texas,” Drew said with a laugh. “We’re versatile.”

Thankfully for current athletes at Baylor, the days of bringing a cold tub to center court for baptisms are over. The Bears have new athletic facilities, which include a large, warm therapy tub. Some say it’s perfect for baptisms.

“It works quite well,” Robertson added. “All the other guys that are part of the player-led Bible study, there’s about 30 to 40 people now, and they’re cheering and applauding, it’s just encouraging.”

Credit: Baylor Athletics

As you walk around campus, you notice Bible verses everywhere. The basketball team attends a chapel before every home game. Coach Drew calls it a “Christian atmosphere” that leaves an impact on players long after they’ve graduated.

“I keep some of the letters from past players,” Drew said. “Whenever you’re having a really bad day, or you’re like, why do we do what we do, you pull out one of those letters, and it makes it all worthwhile.”

Robertson’s relationship with God keeps him grounded through the grind of being a college athlete.

“I want to be as successful as possible, but at the end of the day, if my relationship with the Lord isn’t right, then none of what I do on Earth matters,” he says. “At the end of the day, like it’s got to be my foundation, and I’ve got to make that the priority of my life.”

Before games, the quarterback reads 2 Timothy 1:7: “For God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”

“I like thinking about that one before games because it kind of like relaxes me and takes the pressure off, even though I know there’s a lot of people watching. Just going out there and not having any fear of it and just playing, playing to honor God, really, it relieves some of that pressure.”

The 22-year-old also lives by Mark 8:36: “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul?”

“It’s not all about likes and popularity and attention,” Robertson adds. “But seeking something that’s actually like true and like what can I put my identity in.”

If you Google Scott Drew, you’ll see how the world views the veteran coach. He’s a National Championship coach and a three-time Big 12 Coach of the Year. Accolades he’s beyond proud of. But Drew said the only winning that lasts is winning eternity.

“One day I’ll get to heaven and see a bunch of Baylor Bears up there,” he says. “People we had a chance to help grow spiritually.”