Terrion Arnold, an Alabama All-American who was molded under Nick Saban, announced his baptism this week in a heartfelt Instagram post. He called the baptism “the most important step in life” while describing how “Jesus called me, and I answered that call.” His words and actions resonate with the way Nick Saban coached him and how Miss Terry thought of him as her own son, both of whom Arnold credits for shaping his game and his life.

In the caption of his Instagram post, Arnold wrote about his baptism. “Yesterday I took the most important step in life; I found myself feeling empty, and the past couple of weeks I haven’t been myself.” He also talked about how a conversation with Pastor Jason Wilson cleared his mind and revealed his need for a deeper commitment to his faith. He said, “Well, yesterday Jesus called me, and I answered that call,” he shared, adding, “The void that I was feeling the past few weeks and the emptiness I felt were lifted, and I gave all my burdens to him.”

Arnold drew a connection between his professional career and faith and how the latter has shaped the former. He said, “Remember, salvation isn’t about performance—it’s about your position,” he wrote, citing Ephesians 2:8-9. “In Christ, salvation has positioned you in Him—secure, forgiven, and loved—not because of your stats in life or on the field, but because of His sacrifice. As a cornerback, you can’t chase applause, play in fear or dwell on mistakes—you have to live freely in the moment,” he wrote. “If you get burned on one play but keep looking back at the crowd, the scoreboard, and the sidelines—the next play will defeat you too.”

Arnold’s Alabama resume described the “stats on the field” part of his message. In 2023, he posted 63 tackles, 5 interceptions, and 12 pass breakups, earning first-team All-American honors. And none of this is accidental, considering who he was being coached by. Nick Saban has spent his career molding defensive backs. But what is different with Arnold is his connection to Saban and his family.

The personal side of that shows up in how he addressed Miss Terry. He called Miss Terry,  “almost like a second mom,” and praised how genuine her care is for every player under Saban’s guidance. And Nick Saban has also nodded to the bond that Miss Terry and Arnold share. He said, “Her and Terrion are really kind of buddies… I kind of get on him… I’m the guy that’s always trying to get them to do right, and she’s the momma who’s always trying to make them happy.”

Moreover, Arnold also often gets motivating texts from Miss Terry, reminding him that he’s “blessed” and “highly favoured.” And that’s why Arnold’s baptism is a personal milestone. This new faith commitment is evidence of a player for whom the foundations now run deeper than statistics and scoreboard, which is exactly how lasting confidence begins.