Riley Leonard left fans wondering what was on his wristband after the quarterback scored a touchdown on Monday night.
Leonard scored on a 1-yard touchdown run with 5:15 left in the first quarter of the College Football Playoff National Championship game between his Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Ohio State Buckeyes at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Ga. The touchdown put Notre Dame up 7-0, and it gave Leonard a chance to preach to the nation.
After getting into the end zone and looking at ESPN’s TV cameras, Leonard pointed to the wristband on his right arm. The wristband contained a religious passage from Matthew 23:12 that says:
“For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
NOTRE DAME AND RILEY LEONARD STRIKE FIRST ☘️ pic.twitter.com/9EtZB5joNG
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Leonard appeared to have a different verse referenced on his other wrist. He appeared to have Proverbs 27:17 on the other wrist, which is:
“Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.”
Leonard is very religious, so it’s no surprise he shared some Bible verses on his wrists. During his postgame interviews, he typically begins by thanking God.
Leonard is in his first season with Notre Dame after spending three years at Duke. In an article talking about his decision to transfer, Leonard discussed his faith in God and mentioned Matthew 23:12.
“One of my favorite Bible verses, Matthew 23:12, it says: ‘Those who exalt themselves or praise themselves will be humbled, but those who humble themselves will be praised.’ I wear those words on my wrist every game,” Leonard wrote.
Riley Leonard has made it clear that he is using the college football platform to espouse his faith.
“The Lord has put me in this situation for a reason, and to be able to publicly display my faith is something I take a lot of pride in,” Leonard said in a CFP media day interview Jan. 18. “I don’t think I’m really deserving of this platform, but Jesus put me here, so I’m going to do everything I can to boast his name.”
