Travis Hunter’s wife, Leanna Lenee Hunter, said the Jaguars rookie decided to get baptized after they went through an emotional time with their newborn son.
Their baby was born in August and had to stay in the NICU for a few weeks. Leanna said it was scary, but also made her faith stronger.
“He was in the NICU for a few weeks and though this was very hard, I trusted God more than I ever had before,” Leanna wrote on Instagram on Monday. “I knew everything was going to be just fine, and that it was.”
She added that during those weeks, she saw Travis become more interested in God.
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“I truly think this time was when Travis met the Jesus,” Leanna wrote. “He told me that he wanted to know God and he wanted me to help him learn. He dedicated himself to stop cursing and just thinking about this talk makes me want to cry because it was like everything I had prayed for was just unraveling right infront of me.”
Travis took the step two months later.
“I watched him get baptized and I was in tearssssss because WHAT A GOD!!!!” Leanna wrote.
The wide receiver was baptized Oct. 12 at Celebration Church in Jacksonville, just a few hours before the Jaguars played the Seattle Seahawks.
Travis Hunter’s wife Leanna reveals what led to foundation of Jaguars rookie’s spiritual journey
Jacksonville wide receiver Travis Hunter’s wife, Leanna Lenee Hunter, opened up on Monday about how her faith journey guided her husband’s growing relationship with God.
She said her faith started to strengthen and as she grew closer to God. Leanna felt further from anything that did not match the values she tried to live by.
“Going to be vulnerable for a second,” Leanna wrote. “So the closer I got to God, the further I felt from anything or anyone who wasn’t like Jesus and didn’t reflect him.”
Leanna added that she prayed every day that Travis would see her faith and feel inspired. She did not pressure him, even though she talked to him often.
“I would talk to him everyday + never reveal what I’ve learned and while he would listen I knew that he would just nod and I just prayed God would one day reveal himself to him like he did to me,” Leanna wrote.
Leanna went to church alone for months and kept praying for Travis to feel something. He chose to join her in July. She said she prayed harder than ever during that service.
“I remember praying so hard that God would touch him and show himself to Travis so that he could experience even a fraction of what I have felt for months,” Leanna wrote.
The couple married in a private ceremony in May, just weeks after Travis was selected at No. 2 by the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The wideout was ruled out for the remainder of the season after undergoing surgery on his right knee. The Jaguars confirmed that the injury occurred during practice in Week 8, which requires significant recovery time.