Faith moves mountains: Meet Panther defensive back CJ Christian

C.J. Christian has loved football since he was five years old. He would spend his days on a football field in his hometown of Normal, Illinois, watching his older brothers play, his sister cheerleading and his mom coaching the cheerleaders.

“I was around football 24/7,” he says. “I couldn’t wait to play.” When he turned seven, the age minimum at his youth league, he threw himself into the sport and never looked back.

By the time he arrived at FIU, he had earned a reputation for his athleticism and can-do spirit. As a  Panther, he made a strong showing as a defensive back, earning his spot as an opening day starter. In his first few games, he totaled 17 tackles, including a tackle for loss and an interception. He registered six stops in the season-opening win over Bryant University.

In his fourth game, he suffered a season-ending injury, dislocating his shoulder. After working hard to recover, the communication major came back onto the field this fall ready to go. In just four games, he has totaled 21 tackles. And he was recently honored as a member of the ProFootballFocus’ (PFF) College Football Team of the Week after recording an interception, six tackles and two pass breakups during FIU’s victory over University of North Texas on Sept. 9.

“The good thing about CJ is that he always wants to keep getting better,” says Head Football Coach Mike MacIntyre, who praises Christian for his athleticism. “He has excellent ball skills, good eyes, can judge a football and make plays on it. He can cover, he can run, he can fill the alley. He’s a dual threat type safety. He’s really, really tough. Like a safety should, he can erase other people’s mistakes.”

The road to playing college football hasn’t been easy for Christian, though. Christian’s athletic career has been marked by triumph over unlikely obstacles. What has kept him going? His faith. 

Rebirth

“I am the vine, you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me, you can do nothing.” These are the words of Jesus Christ, recorded in John 15:5. They are tattooed on Christian’s left arm.

Along with “Christian” in bold script across his chest, “Fear God” on his biceps and a cross near his shoulder, these tattoos point to the uniting thread running across Christian’s life: his faith in Christ.

“When I open the Bible and choose a passage to read,” he says, “I feel that God’s talking to me. And I know that He’s still watching over me.”

When he got injured last year, he trusted God.

“I know that God’s got a plan for me,” he says. “I told myself, ‘I’m just going to keep working hard.’ I never imagined myself in Miami, playing football. This is what I’ve prayed for. It’s never supposed to be easy. You can never take it for granted.”

He says his college football career has been all about overcoming adversity.

After a breakout season as a senior in high school, it seemed Christian would continue his journey at Augustana University in South Dakota. On his first day in college, though, his dreams were shattered. He found out he had narrowly missed the academic requirement for NCAA eligibility. He would not receive a full scholarship. Christian returned home, promising himself to never let his grades hold him back.