Rams Revival: A Call to Christ
- Shelby Styer
- Dec 9, 2024
- 6 min read
Canvas Stadium, located in Fort Collins, Colorado, is the proud home of Colorado State University's Division I football team. Your average game day at Canvas Stadium would include a rowdy atmosphere of thirty thousand fans cheering on the home team. Beers are flowing, the Colorado sunshine graces the field with its beauty, and the Rams are facing off against a fierce opponent in the Mountain West.
While Canvas Stadium is typically filled with fans' roar and the competition's thrill, the Rams football team recently welcomed a different environment. Multiple football players put in the time and effort to host what they called a “Rams Revival,” a night to hear faith-based testimonies from several players accompanied by intermittent live worship music.
A stadium that is familiar with the sound of tens of thousands cheering on the Rams was instead filled with powerful stories from players and a call to follow Christ. The players hosted an event that led to over a hundred people hearing The Gospel and learning what it looks like to put your faith in Christ.
The event was hosted by Johnny Square or as the players like to call him “Pastor Square.” Square plays an important role both on and off campus. He serves as the team pastor for Colorado State's basketball and football programs while also leading as the head pastor of Iasis Christ Fellowship Church in Fort Collins.
Seven of the Ram’s football players took center stage and spoke bravely into the microphone about their trials on and off the field. Highlighting the impact that God has had on their lives as young men.
Senior captain Chase Wilson started off his testimony by highlighting a shirt he was wearing that said Jesus won. A tone-setting moment for the powerful message he was about to bring into the light.
Wilson spoke about a health scare he had as a junior in high school that left him in The Children’s Hospital for two weeks. After spending half of that time in the intensive care unit he had lost thirty pounds and was eating out of a breathing tube. When he was in the ICU a coach of his posted a Bible verse on his bulletin board in his room, that verse was “This is the day which the Lord has made; we shall rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 117:24 English Standard Version)
After reflecting on the meaning of this influential verse for Wilson he said this. “You know, there's a lot of times that we can question what God's plan is for us, and, you know, what he's doing at certain times, we might be really struggling. And it's all a part of God's plan. I think that's what's beautiful about each day, is it's the day that the Lord has made, and there's a lot to be said about each day and a lot of things that we can learn as believers.”
Powerful words were spoken into the brisk Colorado night. Wilson and many other players continued to speak boldly, contrasting their stories of hardship with the freedom they now find in Christ.
Another impactful testimony came from Senior corner back Ayden Hector. Hector told the crowd about the rollercoaster that has been his life for five years. He started off by explaining what life looked like in high school as a highly touted recruit. Hector was getting offers from Division I football programs from across the country.
Then one day he got an offer from his dream school, Stanford University. So in his junior year, he committed to one of the most coveted institutions in America to play football with the best of the best.
“I thought I was all set. I'm ready to go. My life's planned. I'm going to go to Stanford, the greatest school in the country, and play football while also getting a degree.”
– Ayden Hector
This is when that rollercoaster started to go off the rails, Hector and some of his high school teammates were caught up in a falsified allegation only months after he had committed to Stanford. The trial didn’t even get taken to court, there was no basis for the allegations, however, the news outlets ran with it painting a target on Hector. This led to the university pulling their offer and Hector was left stranded…
“My whole life was flipped over. I didn't know if I'd ever play football again. And I was scared to death because my whole identity, my whole foundation was football. And I sat down with my parents crying nonstop because I didn't know what to do with my life. I didn't know who I was.” -Ayden Hector
This is not where the story ends for Hector, the goal of playing Division I football looked impossible for him at one point. This is when he got an opportunity to play for Washington State University. His dreams were alive again. That was until he got caught trying to buy alcohol with a fake ID during his freshman year in Washington. Hector was kicked off the team and truly felt like he had thrown it away, a second chance quickly snuffed out just as quick as his first one.
After reflecting on his past and looking towards his future Hector took a year off to rehab from shoulder surgery and look for a school that would give him just one more chance. This is when Hector was at his lowest, but the ride was only getting started. “And during that year of limbo, I found Jesus. And I found Jesus because there was a hole in my heart that I tried to fill with football. And when football was snatched from under me and I saw how volatile it was to make that my foundation, Jesus Christ came and put himself right there in that hole. And, man, I knew.”
The crowd was on the edge of their seats during Hector’s testimony, they had just gotten a look at the past five years of his life. Hector wasn’t somber about his past, his tone wasn’t reluctant, somehow he was filled with absolute peace. He had this to say after reflecting on his last five years. “It gives you a whole new perspective when you have to go through something like that. And I wouldn't have had it any other way. I don't look at myself as a victim of my past. I look at myself as a product. And Jesus has been the one refining that product this whole time. And the journey still continues.”
Hector along with the other players that shared their testimonies continued to speak earnestly. Throughout all of their stories, they were calling members of the crowd to Christ after highlighting His importance in their lives. Their call to action seemed to impact the crowd, their stories had been a testimony to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
After all the players got the opportunity to speak Pastor Square gave a short message stressing the importance of having Christ as the Lord of your life. This is when he called upon the crowd to make that one-time decision, the decision to make Christ a part of your life forever.
One by one, people started to walk up to the front of the crowd. Cheers rang out as others were filled with joy seeing men and women wanting to publicly declare their faith in Christ. This led to eleven people getting baptized, eleven people who were moved to put their faith in Christ. Let alone on a cold night when even I was cold in my beanie and gloves.
Pastor Square then led the group of men and women who had made the choice to be baptized in a prayer. These eleven individuals were then baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The applause rang even louder than a sold-out Canvas Stadium… okay maybe not, but people were in awe of such a sight.
Just as the football players rightfully named the event, it was a Rams Revival: A Call to Christ.
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