Life-changing faith of linebacker Alex

Fearsome 6ft 4in linebacker for the Pittsburgh Steelers – Alex Highsmith – isn’t just making sacks – he’s making waves in faith.

In a powerful 2025 testimony captured on Instagram and in a Sports Spectrum video titled I Once Was, Highsmith revealed how he moved from superficial church attendance to a deep, life-changing relationship with Jesus Christ.

Born in Wilmington, North Carolina, in 1997, the 28-year-old former UNC-Charlotte star reflected that college was when his faith became real.

“I realised I’m a sinner in need of a Saviour,” he said about the moment when his heart truly opened to God.

Now wearing No 56 in black and gold, Highsmith says that his life – on and off the field – is built on a firm foundation in Christ.

As he recently told believers, “My identity is in him and him alone,” not in the numbers on the scoreboard or applause from fans.

“No matter how I play – three sacks or zero – God still loves me the same,” he said.

On the field , Highsmith’s intensity is unmistakable.

Off it, his faith drives everything.

After every game, he and some teammates gather for a prayer circle at the 50-yard line “locking arms with brothers in Christ and giving glory back to God,” as he described it at a student convocation earlier this year.

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