By Mallory Mattingly
Notre Dame tight end Eli Raridon surrendered his life to Jesus after he suffered two gruesome back-to-back injuries.
“Those injuries were some of the hardest things I’ve had to go through,” Raridon shared at the NFL combine, per Tyler Horka on X. “You know, I was used to football being my whole life. And when it gets taken away from you for pretty much two years, it’s really hard. And, you know, I just took a step back.”
Notre Dame tight end Eli Raridon surrendered to Jesus after suffering two ACL tears in as many years.
“When you lose football and that’s all you know, I didn’t know what else to do.”
He aims to lead others to Christ.
Related: Notre Dame Team Chaplain Talks Unexpected ‘Blessing’ of Leading Team Spiritually
“I’m trying to work up the faith to spread my testimony.” pic.twitter.com/A4tOevdar4
— Tyler Horka (@tbhorka) February 26, 2026
Raridon suffered two ACL tears within two years.
“Most importantly, I really started diving into my faith. Gave my life to Jesus, surrendered to Jesus, knowing I’m not in control, and that was extremely important for my mental health and just for me as a person. That’s completely changed me as a person,” he continued.
“That injury also taught me to appreciate football. Stepping on that football field after those injuries just filled me with such a different gratitude than it had before, and my love for the game just grew so much more because of those injuries,” he added. And I would say, you know, injuries aren’t good, but those are the best things. Those injuries are the best thing that’s happened to me with just my growth — growth as a person and growth as a football player.”
Raridon grew up knowing Christ, but it was in the trial that he really began to make his faith his own.
“You know, I grew up in a Christian household, but I hadn’t really taken my faith into my own hands,” he revealed, speaking about his mindset after the second ACL surgery. “And, you know, when you lose football and that’s all you know, I didn’t know what else to do. There was a certain point where I was just like, ‘Jesus, take control of my life. I’m not control. I’m going to trust your plan through this, through this hardship.’ And I really dug into my word. You know, still learning a lot right now, trying to work up the faith to spread my testimony and lead others to Jesus.”
Raridon finished the NFL combine with a total score of 67, which ranked him 19th overall.
“He blocks with solid technique and good tenacity but still needs to add muscle mass to his long frame,” the NFL said of his possible future in the league. “The Notre Dame passing attack opened him up on intermediate hash throws against zone but he also has sneaky build-up speed and ball skills to make catches down the field. Raridon needs more experience but is an ascending talent who should become the seventh Notre Dame tight end drafted over the last nine years.”
Raridon’s story is a powerful reminder that God uses what we see as setbacks to draw us closer to Him.
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