NASHVILLE (BP) – A new podcast titled “Gridiron and the Gospel,” will feature weekly conversations about both 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 college football, but our greater desire is to share what Christ has done and is doing in our lives and the lives of our guests. We hope it encourages believers and challenges unbelievers.”
Schroeder was formerly 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 TV appearances on shows like SportsCenter and College GameDay.
Edwards now works in sales, while Schroeder serves as minister of groups and care with Storyline Church in Arvada, Colo.
The two began a conversation last fall about the possibility of creating a podcast that would combine their love for college football with their shared Christian faith.
Schroeder explained the first portion of the episode will feature a conversational recap of the previous week of college football, while the second half will feature a discussion about a certain topic within the Christian faith or a devotional thought about what God is teaching them in their lives.
They say college football experts and Christian leaders may appear in either half of podcast episodes.
Edwards mentioned how the recent story of NFL Damar Hamlin put prayer back in the spotlight and showed “there are a lot more Christians out there in sports and sports media than you would realize.”
He hopes the podcast will allow them to “give our input on some things related to faith and some matters in our own lives that we think might be helpful to people.”
“My hope is that there would be a lot of people who will tune in for the football, and then stick around 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 for 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 that we can connect a sport that so many Southern Baptists are passionate about with their faith,” Howe said.
Howe hopes the podcast can be used as an outreach tool as well.
“We believe this will be a great opportunity to hear inspiring stories of those working in the world of college football.”
(EDITOR’S NOTE – Timothy Cockes is a Baptist Press staff writer.)
