Ashton Jeanty: I’m a Christian Disguised as a Running Back
By Movieguide® Contributor
Running back Ashton Jeanty may be “leading all of college football with 1,031 rushing yards,” but he is led by Christ. In an interview posted to Instagram, Jeanty shared his heart and how he came to his faith.
“I like to say that I’m a Christian cleverly disguised as an All-American running back,” the Boise State running back began. “I’ve learned that God has blessed me with amazing talents. I’ve just been able to do a lot of great things with it, but at the same time, not losing yourself in it and understanding that my identity is in Christ.”
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It’s not just his faith that’s drawing eyes. Jeanty’s stats have landed him a Heisman consideration.
According to the Ringer:
Boise State’s junior running back has rocketed into the upper echelon of Heisman Trophy contenders over his first five games of the 2024 college football season. He’s done so on the strength of absurd numbers and even more absurd highlights. He’s rushed for—eyes bulge—1,031 yards and 16 touchdowns on an average of 10.9 yards per carry. He leads the Football Bowl Subdivision in each of those categories, and his stats would be even better had he not sat out the second half of two blowouts. Still, Jeanty is on pace to break Barry Sanders’s 1988 single-season rushing record of 2,628 yards.
“It would mean a lot, you know, not just for me but I think for the position of running backs,” Jeanty said of the chance he could win the most coveted title in college football. “And then just the award itself, you know, cause lately its’s been a, you know, Power-5 quarterback award, but just shedding light that no matter where you’re at if you’re a talented player you will be recognized and you will be rewarded for it.”
Still, the baller remains focused on his faith.
He believed having Christian parents as a child contributed to the faith he has today.
“My mom and dad instilled faith in me as a kid. Just growing up, you know, I never really understood what it meant to have a relationship with God. I felt that I was being more religious than spiritual. I decided one day that I was going to open my heart up to God, and really let it be changed. My first year was definitely my hardest year being away from family.”
Jeanty explained how moving from Texas to Idaho was such a big change for him, and he fell into a depression.
“Once I decided to give my life to Him and change my ways, it’s been an ultimate transformation… “… I felt that this community has helped me grow tremendously. It’s very welcoming, it’s not forceful, it’s not aggressive in any type of way. It’s the way God would want it to be, and I could see, even before stepping foot on this campus, that God had His hands on this program. I could see that Christianity was a big thing here and that guys were real big on their faith. I learned to embrace that.”
Per Bleacher Report, Jeanty established himself as one of the most efficient runners in college football by averaging 10.9 yards per carry on just 95 total attempts. That efficiency has allowed Jeanty to take the FBS lead while still allowing Boise State to rest their star back.
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