Auburn men’s basketball is having a season unparalleled in its program history. The Tigers have held the top spot in the AP Poll for five weeks and boast a 22-2 record that features 13 wins over Quad One opponents.
While things have clicked for Auburn on the floor this season, it understands that its success stems from a bigger source than itself. Members of the program have grown accustomed to incorporating God into every aspect of their performance. The team even mentions God in their celebrations.
“Call God” has become a rally cry for the Tigers as well as their signature celebration, done by mimicking a phone with your hand and holding it up to your ear. The members of the team believe their passion for the Lord has brought them closer together, allowing them to perform better as a unit.
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“As young men, it’s always preached to hide your emotions and keep everything inside, but with the Bible studies, we’re learning about God as well as how to be a better Christian as well as being able to sharpen each other through stories and the experiences we’re going through. We better ourselves through the Word and with God,” senior forward Chaney Johnson said.
Part of the reason Auburn has put things in God’s hands this season is Jeremy Napier, the team’s second-year chaplain. Napier has wasted no time making an impact since arriving in Auburn and has already become a fundamental part of the program.
“I don’t think I can put it into words how big of an impact he’s had on this team,” Johnson said of Napier. “He’s bringing a lot of guys to Christ in a very ethical manner, slowly but surely. A lot of the players on this team believe in Christ, but Jeremy pushes us to believe a little bit harder.”
Johnson has personally been impacted by Napier since arriving in Auburn, giving him credit for helping him pursue God more than ever.
“He’s honestly made my love for Christ a lot stronger,” Johnson said. “I was always a strong believer, but to be able to have him pour into me from his stories and his life experiences, it really helped me build my strength for the love of God.”
Napier, who played collegiate basketball at West Virginia State, gets a lot of fulfillment from serving the Lord while getting to be around the game he loves.
“It’s confirmation that God has called me to do exactly what I want to do,” Napier said. “My whole life I’ve played basketball and I also love ministry. I always wanted to combine the two and I’ve been able to do that. I’m beyond blessed to be able to minister the way that I’m ministering, but the Lord’s just been faithful and allowed me to do that. I feel like this is exactly where he wants me to be.”
Napier didn’t know that sports was going to be involved when he was first called into ministry. However, his ability to connect with people through the game of basketball allowed him to achieve his goal of breaking racial and cultural barriers.
“I was always upset that, even today, the most segregated time is Sunday at 11 a.m.,” Napier said. “Why can’t we worship together? That statistic kills me. Even early on, I wanted to pastor a church with a congregation that looks like Heaven. I would go down to the local black church with my buddies just because I wanted to break that trend.”
Napier believes one of the biggest lessons to be learned from Jesus is his willingness to go the extra mile and do things no one else is willing to do. Because those are often the scenarios that lead to opportunities to share the Gospel.
He regularly challenges members of the team to interact with people of different races and socioeconomic statuses to give them a new perspective. He believes this is important because the Gospel transcends any worldly label placed on people.
“The idea for our guys and our coaches is ‘How far are you willing to go? Are you willing to sit down with somebody, go to lunch with somebody, even someone who doesn’t look like you? Are you willing to do that so you can share the truth?’” he outlined.
Seeing members of the team be unafraid to be outspoken about their faith in Jesus never gets old for Napier, as it allows him to see the fruits of his labor in real time. Despite the progress that has been made, Napier knows his work is nowhere near finished.
“It’s definitely encouraging, but at the same time, there’s a lot of work to do,” Napier said. “Let’s speak the name of Jesus. Understand that the same power that’s in Jesus is in us through his spirit. We can overcome anything on the court. We can overcome anything off the court and be vocal about it. The Great Commission is a command, it’s not a suggestion.”
Napier appreciates the religious environment of Auburn, the city, and Auburn University, as he feels supported in his mission to evangelize the Auburn basketball program. In a world where following Jesus is often looked down upon, particularly in environments that are typically secular, Napier makes sure never to take Auburn’s openness to God for granted.
“Auburn itself is a culture,” Napier said. “It’s cool to go to Bible studies.”
Auburn has enjoyed a new level of success throughout its 2024-2025 campaign so far. If you ask most people within the program, they don’t hesitate to give God credit for moving through Auburn basketball.
When things have gone well for the Tigers this season, they have called God. When they have had to face adversity, they have called God. Napier has guided members of the team to do so.
“He allows us to really take our beliefs into account and be able to not be ashamed and use our platform as well to preach the Gospel,” Johnson said.
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email daniel.locke@1819news.com.
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