Bucs' Emeka Egbuka, whose Instagram name is 'Christ Follower,' explains how faith helps drive his career

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Emeka Egbuka made rather nan belief connected nan NFL shape successful his rookie twelvemonth successful 2025.

But nan Ohio State merchandise doesn’t conscionable deliberation it’s his intent to thief his squad scope its Super Bowl goals -- preaching his faith is precocious connected his privilege database arsenic well.

Like galore successful nan NFL, Egbuka uses his level connected nan master level to stock his Christian faith, thing he said he recovered 5 years agone astatine a constituent successful his life wherever he needed it.

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Emeka Egbuka of nan Tampa Bay Buccaneers walks nan section earlier an NFL crippled against nan Carolina Panthers astatine Raymond James Stadium successful Tampa, Fla., connected Jan. 3, 2026. (Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)

Today, if you spell to his Instagram page, you’ll spot his sanction is "Christ Follower," and he explained to Fox News Digital really his religion drives him connected and disconnected nan field.

"To put it simply, it’s specified a large portion of my life because of what Jesus has done successful my life, and I cognize that he offers nan aforesaid for each azygous person," Egbuka said complete Zoom aft helping USAA pinch its "Huddle UP For Hurricane Prep" by building disaster kits and educating his chap Tampa Bay citizens astir hurricane safeguarding.

"He kinda met maine wherever I was 5 years agone now, which seems crazy to say. I’ve been stepping pinch Him ever since.

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Five years ago, Egbuka was conscionable a freshman astatine Ohio State, hoping to make an effect for nan Buckeyes. As he continued to turn crossed 3 much years of assemblage football, he ended up helping nan Buckeyes triumph a nationalist title during nan 2024 season.

At nan aforesaid time, he said he started to find "peace" and "joy" pinch his religion and God, which he feels still today.

"The consciousness of personality that I person that I didn’t person before. There’s a batch of things successful my life and a batch of ways I was battling mentally that He pulled maine retired of," Egbuka explained. "That’s worldly that goes unnoticed. That’s worldly down nan curtains that group don’t spot each time because we put connected these masks, put connected these faces [and] facades.

Emeka Egbuka #2 of nan Tampa Bay Buccaneers walks disconnected nan section aft defeating nan Carolina Panthers astatine Raymond James Stadium successful Tampa, Florida, connected Jan. 3, 2026. (Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

"But heavy down, everybody deals pinch stuff. It’s life. It’s tries each of us. There’s tests and tribulations that travel each azygous day, and we tin do our champion to guidelines existent and clasp strong. At nan extremity of nan day, we’re human. We tin only do truthful overmuch to clasp ourselves up erstwhile it comes to a constituent we make it to nan extremity of ourselves – that’s wherever I was erstwhile God met me.

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"Just being capable to preach astir Him, usage my level to dispersed nan Gospel. Just nan dream that location is successful Jesus is what I consciousness my intent is."

Entering nan NFL community, Egbuka noticed others for illustration Houston Texans backmost C.J. Stroud, Las Vegas Raiders backmost Kirk Cousins and galore much sharing their religion arsenic well.

"I deliberation it’s a blessing and privilege that we person to beryllium capable to beryllium truthful open," Egbuka added. "Obviously, it didn’t ever beryllium for illustration that, but moreover nowadays successful different countries, you tin beryllium murdered and killed for professing your religion and everything for illustration that. We’re conscionable successful a nine and civilization that we’re capable to stock that openly without immoderate hostility aliases backlash astatine us. I deliberation it’s a immense privilege we person to beryllium capable to stock our level and usage it to dispersed nan Gospel."

Another measurement Egbuka uses his level is impacting his organization for illustration he did connected Tuesday astatine nan USAA Tampa Office, wherever he focused immoderate of his offseason efforts connected bringing consciousness to hurricane preparation for an area susceptible to specified earthy disasters.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Emeka Egbuka surrounded by USAA volunteers creating hurricane disaster kits up of hurricane play successful Florida. (USAA)

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"This isn’t my first clip moving pinch USAA, truthful I’m gladsome to beryllium partnering pinch them again," he said. "Just specified a awesome unit and everybody who useful here. They’ve been truthful hospitable to maine and my team, and evidently it hits adjacent to home. I person a grandfather who was a Navy SEAL, begetter who was an progressive work worker for a while and now useful astatine nan Department of Defense arsenic a civilian engineer. Definitely been surrounded by nan subject my full life.

"Some of nan disaster kits we made today, they person nan whistles, nan information blankets – thing you mightiness request erstwhile a disaster strikes. That’s what we were focused connected doing today. There’s thing we tin do to forestall a hurricane from happening. Obviously, staying connected apical of nan upwind and paying attraction to nan alerts and everything for illustration that. I cognize my location came pinch hurricane shutters and everything to enactment connected apical of that. Really conscionable trying to do our champion to beryllium proactive pinch it, and I deliberation those kits we made coming will spell a agelong way."

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