Deion Sanders’ Public Prayer in Tongues Goes Viral, Ignites Debate Over What the Bible Teaches
NFL legend Deion Sanders recently delivered a 10-second public prayer in tongues during a postgame press conference, a move that was met with polarizing responses from Christians online.
Jon Root, a commentator for OutKick and who frequently touches upon and gives his thoughts and opinions on faith-related subjects whenever they arise in pop culture, posted the clip of Sanders. The clip posted by Root on X/Twitter featured the NFL Hall of Famer speaking in tongues as he began a postgame press conference following his team, the University of Colorado Buffaloes, who defeated Weber State University by a considerable margin, 51-21, The Christian Post reported.
Root, in addition to posting the clip of the former Dallas Cowboy and Atlanta Brave, added his thoughts in the caption, criticizing Sanders' move.
“Colorado HC Deion Sanders attempted to ‘pray in tongues’ before starting a press conference,” Root wrote on X. “This is nonsensical babbling. Not Biblical at all.”
A day later, Root returned to the subject of Sanders' praying in tongues. He posted a second comment, writing, “I have yet to hear a solid, Biblical defense that Deion Sanders is ACTUALLY speaking in tongues in this clip.”
Root's remarks sparked a debate online amongst Christians, between those in favor of and those against the practice of speaking in tongues.
Justin Peters, who identifies himself on X/Twitter as an "evangelist, teacher, and author committed to expositional preaching and equipping believers to "speak the truth in love" per Eph. 4:15" also slammed Sanders' prayer.
“This is to the biblical gift of tongues as Dylan Mulvaney is to a woman,” Justin Peters, who has done extensive work critiquing the word of faith movement, shared in his response.
Later, in a direct response to a user in the thread, Root seemed to claim that Sanders' move was all for show and attention.
"Because it's about performative more often than not," he wrote.
However, not all comments on Sanders' public prayer were critical; some were supportive.
Meanwhile, pastor and content creator Matt Green contended that Sanders’ praying in tongues is biblical, citing 1 Corinthians 14, where the apostle Paul speaks about speaking in tongues for one’s own edification.
"That's an example of what Coach is doing,” Green said. "Coach is building up; he's strengthening himself; he's getting ready," Green said in a TikTok video. "He's saying I need to speak in my heavenly language to the One that is going to bring me through this."
While some may not have agreed with or appreciated Sanders praying in tongues, Green said that he enjoyed "seeing it."
"I love seeing it, someone in his position, someone who is so well known, doing this," Green added. "It's recorded. It's on ESPN."
Another person, in response to Root's initial post, also cited 1 Corinthians 14.
"Before Christians start throwing 'biblical' and unbiblical' at each other, read ALL of 1 Corinthians 14," the user wrote. "Paul does not forbid tongues. He also does not give disorder a free pass."
Sanders explained to reporters at the postgame press conference why he spoke in tongues before addressing them, the New York Post reports.
“I had just come from addressing the team, and I lit them up, so I had to calm down,” Sanders explained. “And the only way I know how to calm down is to pray in the spirit. So, you know, it’s not a gimmick. There’s not a ‘look at me.’ No. No. That’s real.”
Photo Credit: ©Joel Solis/MediaNews Group/Boulder Daily Camera via Getty Images
Originally published September 16, 2026.
