By Michaela Gordoni
CeCe Winans sent NFL rookie Caleb Downs a sweet message after he walked out to her song, “King of Glory” at the NFLPA Rookie Premiere after he was selected by the Dallas Cowboys at the 2026 NFL draft.
“Hello Caleb and congratulations,” Winans said in her video to him. “I was so blessed to hear ‘King of Glory’ following your draft announcement. May the King of Glory cover you and protect you throughout your whole career.”
She encouraged Downs to always put God first and continue to represent Him.
“God bless you,” the Grammy winner signed off.
After he watched it, Downs said, “That’s awesome,” with a big smile.
On draft day after he was selected, Down said, “Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Jesus. I ain’t got nothing other to say than that.”
Later in the day he said, “Thank God. Thank God. That’s all I got to say.”
Related: Green Bay Packers Rookie Says God ‘Helped Me Get’ to the NFL
Downs, who played for Ohio State, had a special attachment to his #2 jersey.
“It became [clear that] there are two things that are more important than me, more important than my playing football. My faith in Jesus Christ and my family. So, those two things are what I wear on my chest every game, and those are the two most important things in my life,” he previously shared.
Downs was a special guest speaker at a worship event on Ohio State’s campus last year.
“No play we make on the field — no touchdown, no interception — can compare to the Kingdom of God,” Downs said at the event.
Every time he gets any success, he credits it to God.
“I mean, I can’t take credit for it. None of my teammates can take credit for it. At the end of the day, His glory is above anything that we can do, but we know Jesus is real and we know that if you believe in Him, you will be saved,” he said.
On an episode of “The Walk” podcast, Downs talked about the relatable hesitation people have about following Christ.
“Some people say, ‘I’m not ready to be baptized. I’m not ready to come to Jesus,’” he said. “But the realization is that Jesus is for the people that are sick.”
“Jesus is for the people that aren’t perfect. You’re never going to be perfect enough to come to Jesus. That’s the point,” he explained.
Downs’ faith is incredible. Hopefully he’ll hold tight to it throughout his NFL career.
Read Next: NFL Rookie Glorifies God After He Scores Big in Debut Game
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