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120 Georgia Student Athletes Gave Their Lives to Christ at One Cookout

First Baptist Church of Hazlehurst planned a tailgate for 500 kids and 70 coaches. By the end of the night, 120 of them had signed decision cards to follow Jesus.

August 3, 2026 · 3 min read · Kingdom Kutz Media Newsroom

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First Baptist Church of Hazlehurst, Georgia, budgeted for 500 kids and about 70 coaches. That was the plan for Night of Champions, a tailgate-style outreach the church threw for student athletes from six surrounding counties on July 16. Free hamburgers, games, a few coaches sharing their testimonies, and a straightforward gospel message. Nothing flashy.

By the time the night ended, 120 students had filled out decision cards saying they wanted to follow Jesus.

What Actually Happened at Night of Champions

The event was organized by Philip Worthington, FBC Hazlehurst's executive pastor of administration and missions, working with a ministry called Strength of a Champion. Middle and high school teams from the region were invited to a noncompetitive block party built around food and fellowship rather than a big production. Coaches and former athletes took turns telling their own stories before the gospel was presented directly.

"After reviewing the decision cards we received, we were able to identify 120 students who made decisions for Christ," Worthington said. He described the night as hitting all three points of the church's mission: glorify Christ, grow disciples, and go fulfill the Great Commission.

Why a Former NFL Quarterback Was There

Jake Fromm, the former Georgia Bulldogs and NFL quarterback, was one of the speakers. His message to the coaches in the room was simple: you have no idea how much weight your words carry with a teenager. "Don't underestimate the impact that you have on a young person's life," Fromm told the crowd, according to CBN News. "There are a lot of souls that you're running into."

Greg Nail, a track coach at Jeff Davis High School, echoed that from a coach's perspective, pointing to how much pressure kids are already carrying before they ever step on a field. Pastor Brad Waters of FBC Hazlehurst said the turnout reflected exactly what the church had been praying for: a way to reach kids who might never walk into a Sunday service on their own.

The church followed up with every student who signed a card and is distributing Bibles to each one who made a commitment, so the decisions don't end as a name on a piece of paper from one night.

A Small Town, a Big Ripple

Hazlehurst is a town of a few thousand people in rural south Georgia, not exactly a media hub. But that's part of the point. This wasn't a stadium event with a celebrity headliner. It was one church, one ministry partner, and a cookout budget, reaching kids that six counties' worth of coaches brought through the door because they trusted what was being offered. If this article ever finds its way to a suffering town or a discouraged coach wondering if any of this still works, this is your answer.

Anyone walking through a season where none of this feels believable might find something in our video on why God allows suffering, which walks through five biblical reasons pain exists in a world God still governs, spiritual warfare being one of them. It's not a stretch to say the enemy would rather 120 teenagers never hear the gospel at all. He lost that round in Hazlehurst.

Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.Luke 15:10 (KJV)

Heaven does not stay quiet over nights like this one.

Key Takeaways

• First Baptist Church of Hazlehurst, Georgia hosted a free tailgate outreach called Night of Champions on July 16 for student athletes from six counties.
• Roughly 500 students and 70 coaches attended a noncompetitive event built around food, testimonies, and a direct gospel message.
• 120 students signed decision cards professing faith in Christ by the end of the night.
• Former NFL quarterback Jake Fromm spoke to coaches about the influence they carry in young athletes' lives.
• The church is following up with every student and distributing Bibles to those who made a commitment.
• The outreach shows large-scale revival isn't limited to big cities or viral stadium events.

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