Clemson’s Xavier Thomas Makes Football Debut After Injury: ‘[God] Has Me No Matter What I Go Through’
By Movieguide® Staff
The elite Clemson Tigers football team recently debuted their new defensive end, Xavier Thomas, and he didn’t disappoint.
The Tigers held Boston College to only three points in their 31-3 victory. Despite limited time on the field due to a foot injury, Thomas still managed two sacks and a forced fumble.
Thomas also earned his first ACC Defensive Lineman of the week award.
“Really proud of [Thomas] and happy for him,” Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said of Thomas. “That was a really fun thing to see and be a part of. He’s worked his tail off and obviously was having a great camp and was super disappointed when he got hurt. But he’s just kept the faith and kept doing what he needed to do, so for him to be able to come back and make an impact like that, it’s just going to give him the wind in his sails that I think he needs.”
“Nothing but God & some hard work,” Thomas wrote in a Tweet after the win.
But his journey back to the field, and faith, started on a low note while battling depression at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, in a desperate moment, Thomas turned to God and put his faith in Christ.
“In the year of 2021, I met Jesus,” Thomas wrote. “Don’t get me wrong, I’ve known and believed in Jesus my whole life, my mother always made sure we went to church every Sunday, but there is a difference between KNOWING Jesus and living for God & letting Jesus live through me.”
“Just going through all those dark times, went through depression, got overweight, and just coming back from all that stuff, I know I can get through anything,” he added. “So, there’s not really much that can really bring me down at this point. I can really just have faith in God and know that He has me no matter what I go through.”
The Tigers currently sit at 6-0 on the season and hope to continue to build on their winning streak with the added help of Thomas on the defensive end.
