Wrestlers displaying headbands with the simple message “100% Jesus” were a feature at the NCAA Championships over the weekend.
College competitors Aaron Brooks and David Carr were two who were happy to display their faith in Jesus Christ in the very public arena.
Brooks, of Penn State, and Carr, from Iowa State, each had white bands over their heads emblazoned with the exhortation.
Fox News reports Brooks, along with his Nittany Lions teammate Carter Starocci, became four-time NCAA champions on Saturday night.
They joined an exclusive club of four-time winners, which also included their coach Cael Sanderson. Brooks beat longtime rival Trent Hidlay, of N.C. State.
Carr also won a national championship at 165 pounds. He worked hard to stymie Penn State’s Mitchell Mesenbrink’s comeback attempt – and he did just that, AP reports.
Penn State University Nittany Lions during the Division I Men’s Wrestling Championship held at T-Mobile Center on March 23, 2024 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Evert Nelson/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)
Penn State’s Aaron Brooks celebrates after defeating NC State’s Trent Hilday in their 197-pound match in the finals of the NCAA wrestling championships, Saturday, March 23, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Both men were proud of their achievements but also proud to talk about their faith and honor for a higher force.
“It might be boring – it’s the truth, It’s the Lord, the Holy Spirit,” Brooks said after being asked what was going through his mind after winning a title, the Fox News report detailed. “It keeps me calm. It keeps me poised, but I remember it’s bigger than this.
“These four titles come and go, His word remains forever.”
Carr talked about God in his post-match press conference with reporters.
File/David Carr of Iowa State walks on the mat before his match with Quincy Monday of Princeton during the Division I Mens Wrestling Championship held at the BOK Center on March 17, 2023 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. (Shane Bevel/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)
“Like always, all glory to God,” he started the post-match press conference. “I prayed before the match, ‘Give me unlimited energy and focus.’ And when I was out there, I just kept telling myself just focus and keep wrestling hard.
“And it feels awesome to end my career on top.”