Aaron Brooks of Penn State won his third-consecutive NCAA title at 184 pounds. However, it was not the title, but what Brooks did afterward that had him trending in the news.
Brooks credited his faith for helping him win, saying in a post-match interview, “It’s everything. Christ’s resurrection is everything. Not just His life, His death and resurrection. You can only get that through Him. The Holy Spirit only through Him.” He added, “No false prophets, no Muhammad or no anyone else. Only Jesus Christ himself.”
Brooks faced criticism for his statement on the Islamic prophet Muhammad, with some implying his statements were “Islamophobic.” Dave Zirin, sports editor of The Nation, criticized the NCAA’s tweet of Brooks’s interview, saying, “Disgusting. But he can say what he wants. Why is the NCAA promoting this anti-Muslim rhetoric? What a bankrupt ‘non-profit.’”
The NCAA has since deleted its tweet of Brooks’s interview. One user responded to Zirin’s tweet, saying, “If it was a Muslim wrestler saying that Jesus was only a prophet, it wouldn’t even be newsworthy. Why is it a big deal only when Christians profess their faith and belief? Christians know why.”
Brooks has previously expressed his faith, saying in an interview in 2022 that he hopes to use his NCAA career as a platform for Christ.
He said, “This platform is great to wrestle on, but it’s to glorify God. This stuff comes and goes. I’m blessed with this opportunity, these gifts. They’re not mine. He gives them to me to bring glory to Him.”