NFL star Jonathon Brooks turned to his faith following a series of personal and professional heartbreaks - and when he steps back on the football field in 2026, it'll be as a newly-baptized athlete. "I've been through a lot in my life," Brooks, 22, said on Tuesday, April 28, via AP Sports. "I lost my father. I've torn my ACL twice. Every single time I reverted back to my faith." The Carolina Panthers running back revealed that after his dad's 2022 passing and a second ACL tear in 2024, he chose to rededicate himself to God.