Faith has long been a talking point among athletes across professional sports, but Christian faith has been particularly prominent among NFL players and coaches.For Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Zachariah Branch, leaning on his Christian beliefs has been a significant part of his life and football journey for as long as he can remember.CLICK HERE FOR MORE OUTKICK SPORTS COVERAGEZachariah Branch of the Atlanta Falcons stands for the national anthem before a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pa., on Sept.13, 2026.
(Getty Images)Now in the pros, he admitted that being surrounded by those who have similar beliefs has played a role in getting him ready for what’s to come at the highest level of the sport."There’s a lot of guys in the locker room who have the same morals and same values, so it’s cool to be surrounded by a lot of those different guys," Branch told OutKick, while highlighting his partnership with Oral-B and Crest.Branch said that his new teammates, including star running back Bijan Robinson and quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, are among those he’s discussed faith with since landing in Atlanta.But Branch’s faith was instilled in him at an early age.Then, as a freshman at USC following a successful high school career at the renowned Bishop Gorman, he started doing something every day that "set the tone" for how he attacked life the second his eyes opened — game day or not."Not necessarily game day, it’s really any day.
As soon as I first wake up, I got to make sure I read my devotional book – whatever the date is for that day," he revealed."I’ve always been very, very faithful as a kid growing up.But I think I started that my freshman year in college when I was at USC.
I always started off with my devotional book, and that’s stuck with me through my whole career.So, definitely want to start my day with that every single day, and it’s been working for me."Branch, who transferred to Georgia for his fina...