NASHVILLE (BP) – A new podcast called “Gridiron and the Gospel”, will feature weekly conversations on the sport of college football and various topics surrounding the Christian faith.
The podcast, fully titled “Gridiron and the Gospel: A Faith & College Football Podcast,” will be hosted by George Schroeder and Brad Edwards, both journalism veterans with more than 25 years of experience covering college football.
“We wanted to capitalize on our (college football) knowledge base and at the same time be able to share the gospel and celebrate our faith in Christ,” Schroeder told Baptist Press.
“Our desire is to talk about college football, but our greatest desire is to share what Christ has done and is doing in our lives and in the lives of our guests. We hope this will encourage believers and challenge unbelievers.
Schroeder was once an award-winning sports journalist, writing for outlets such as USA Today and Sports Illustrated. He is also a former editor of Baptist Press.
Edwards was a former researcher and sports personality for ESPN and made radio and television appearances on shows like SportsCenter and College GameDay.
Edwards now works in sales, while Schroeder is minister of groups and care at Storyline Church in Arvada, Colorado.
The two began a conversation last fall about the possibility of creating a podcast that would combine their love of college football with their shared Christian faith.
Schroeder explained that the first part of the episode will feature a conversation recap from the previous week of college football, while the second half will feature a discussion of a certain topic of the Christian faith or a devotional reflection on what God is teaching them in their life. .
They claim that college football experts and Christian leaders may appear in either half of the podcast episodes.
Edwards mentioned how recent NFL history-maker Damar Hamlin brought prayer back into the spotlight and showed “there are a lot more Christians in sports and sports media than you think.”
He hopes the podcast will allow them to “give our opinions on some faith-related things and some issues in our own lives that we think might be helpful to people.”
“I hope there will be a lot of people who follow football and then stay for the rest.”
The podcast is presented by Subsplash and is a production of BP Sports, a division of Baptist Press. It is available on major podcast platforms.
Jonathan Howe, vice president of communications for the SBC Executive Committee, said the podcast aims to be a fun and inspiring way for Christians to enjoy a sport they love.
“It’s a way to connect a sport that so many Southern Baptists are passionate about with their faith,” Howe said.
Howe hopes the podcast can also be used as an awareness tool.
“We think this will be a great opportunity to hear inspiring stories from those who work in the world of college football.”
