More Than Football

In their first season in the fall of 2025, there was one question the George Fox football coaching staff asked themselves.

“How do we establish great roots here? That is our identity as a football program — the results will take care of themselves.”

Now that question is being answered, not just through their record, but also through their unwavering sense of brotherhood and identity in faith.

Finishing up his second season with the Bruins, Head Coach Spencer Crace has cultivated an atmosphere built around spiritual growth and tough love. He knew becoming the head coach at George Fox one day was his dream job, and his prayers were answered when the role opened up. Crace stepped in, ready to transform the mentality of the program and draw them into faith and sharing the gospel. 

Over the past three years, the record has been stuck at 4-6, but they broke through with a 6-3 season. That turnaround is more than just hard work—it stems from a culture that focuses on embodying their faith and building community.

“Finding examples of how guys are living out our standards and values as a program and getting them to recognize that within each other is really good, because we want this to be a player-led program,” said the head coach.

In Crace’s first season, he worked on pushing the integration of faith and football. A few players said yes, then got involved with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA). Others started to read the Bible and went to other ministry events, but most players were still warming up in their beliefs. So the coaches wondered what the next step could be. By the time fall camp rolled around in 2026, Crace knew what to do—provide the opportunity for players to get baptized.

At their annual fall breakaway camp on the coast, the team went for a hike. At the top of the hill, the group had an hour-long conversation about what it means to be Christian. They wanted to lay the foundation for believing in God in their hearts, and Crace announced the next step option to grow in their faith.

"I told the guys this is something I've been praying about,” said Crace, “and I really think this would be a really cool experience. And if it's one guy, it's one guy."

It was way more than one guy. Try 27 baptisms, followed a week later by a 27-0 season-opening win against Redlands—leaving no doubt that God was present.

On August 30, 2026, the last day of fall camp, the team gathered in the middle of the football field, and the scene was set: the tub full of water on top of the George Fox logo, teammates surrounding it on their knees, ready to witness their brother's declarations. One by one, 27 athletes submerged under the water and came up confident in their identity as men of God. And for freshmen Elias Isaacs and Dominic Painter, it was an experience like no other. 

Elias Isaacs encountered the love of Christ his sophomore year of high school, and when he learned of this opportunity, he felt a calling on his heart that told him he couldn’t pass it up.

“It’s the act of being dunked underwater and washing away all your sins and being reborn again…coming out of the water, I just felt such a relief off my shoulders, and my chest felt so light,” Isaacs said.

For Dominic Painter, he was baptized when he was 12 years old, but this part of his life was a decision he wanted to make for himself. When Crace brought it up, he immediately knew that that was an independent choice he was going to make.

“This is the closest I've been to Him ever…” Painter said, “and I wanted to have [baptisms] be a part of that in my life. I wanted to declare my followership to Christ.”

When Crace gave a speech the day of, Painter confirmed that moment was something special, not only for him but for everyone, and knew it was growing their family foundation. Crace started to get emotional, and as Painter looked around, he knew that this meant a lot to everyone, and it reiterated the core of the team.

“People are watching every game,” Painter stated, “but we only care for a one-man audience, and that's the Lord.”

From team meetings to personal conversations—every interaction supports the culture that the football program has built and continues to cultivate. Faith is the purpose of their play, and everything rests on that foundation. 

Senior Sam Astor, a defensive back who has appeared in 19 games for the Bruins, has first-hand witnessed the transformation of the program. He defines love as a big part of their program, and that’s what gives the team their purpose. The new perspective the whole coaching staff has brought has led to positive change, and their focus on a player-led team is what Astor says stands out.

“They allow us to shape our team more,” Astor explained. “We are leading the program, and the coaches are helping us along the way.”

Astor’s time at George Fox has grown him in his faith, and that’s in part because of the perspective football has given him. 

“Our goal as a team is so much more centered on becoming men of God and building us up as humans instead of as football players first,” said Astor.

With that statement, as well as ones from others on the team, the question of “How do we establish great roots here?” seems to be answered. This mindset serves as their foundation, where their faith isn’t just something that’s talked about — it’s embodied through team baptisms, retreats, and brotherhood.