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THE FIRST FREEDOM CHALLENGE
What’s Your Post-Game Prayer?
Take a Knee and Pray with Coach Kennedy
On Sept. 1, Coach Joe Kennedy returns to Bremerton High School for his first game following his Supreme Court win.
Eight years ago, Coach Kennedy was fired for kneeling and praying on the field after games. But just last year, the Supreme Court handed down a landmark decision in Kennedy v. Bremerton School District which held that personal expressions of faith cannot be censored. This means Coach Kennedy is getting his job back as a football coach in Bremerton, where he’ll be able to freely live out his faith.
But this wasn’t just a win for one coach. This historic case reversed decades of bad law and hostility to religious expression. New doors are being opened for all Americans to express their beliefs and live out their faith.
To celebrate Coach Kennedy’s comeback, First Liberty Institute—the nation’s largest legal nonprofit dedicated to defending religious liberty—launched the First Freedom Challenge: Take a Knee with Coach Kennedy campaign. We’re challenging Americans nationwide to take a knee in personal private prayer on Friday, Sept. 1.
It’s our prayer that coaches, players, parents and fans all over the country will join Coach Kennedy in this challenge.
This is a simple yet powerful step we can take to restore faith in our schools and communities. It could even help spark revival throughout our country.
Prayer on the gridiron is nothing new in America. In fact, it’s a cherished and longstanding tradition practiced by countless athletes, coaches and fans. As we look forward to Coach Kennedy’s comeback on Sept. 1, we want to share with you and millions more just how important faith is in the sport of football.
Faith, Football and Prayer: As American as Apple Pie
Religious expression in American sports has a long and rich history. For nearly the 250 years of our nation’s existence, there’s been a close relationship between religion and athletics. Some scholars trace it back to the first European settlers who landed in North America.
More recently, sports fans will likely remember or be familiar with Heisman winning quarterback Tim Tebow. From his earliest days in the spotlight, Tebow boldly displayed his faith on the field—scrawling Bible verses on his eye black, pointing upward toward God after a good play or praising his “Lord and savior, Jesus Christ” at press conferences.
But perhaps the most iconic display of faith is Tebow taking a knee to pray on the sidelines. And he is not the first or the only athlete known to pray on the gridiron.
In football especially—as well as across many sports—the tradition of pre and post-game prayers is nothing out of the ordinary. From Friday Night Lights in high schools across the country, college bowl games and all the way to Super Bowl Sunday, it’s common to see players and coaches praying and living out their faith.
Kansas Chief quarterback Patrick Mahomes—arguably the face of the National Football League today—kneels in prayer before each of his games. In an interview with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Mahomes said:
“Before every game, I walk the field, and I just do a prayer at the goal post, and I thank God for those opportunities, and I thank God for just letting me be on a stage where I can glorify Him. And I feel like the biggest thing that I pray for is that whatever happens, win or lose, success or failure, that I’m glorifying Him and doing everything the right way that He wants me to.”
Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts—Mahomes’ rival during Super Bowl 57—also keeps his faith front and center. Like Tebow and Mahomes, he’s often seen taking a knee in prayer.
During the 2022 NFL season, America witnessed one of the most impactful and inspirational moments showing the bond between faith and football. After Buffalo Bills Safety Damar Hamlin suffered cardiac arrest on the field, players and team staff quickly took a knee in a massive, yet intimate, circle on the field.
Those watching the game that Monday night witnessed the team’s chaplain, Len Vanden Bos, leading the group in a moment of spontaneous prayer. The hushed crowd at Paycor Stadium burst into applause as the players knelt and again as they rose.
As the young man fought for his life, we saw something profound. America responded by doing much more than simply saying “get well soon.” Millions around the country turned to God and prayed.
Cincinnati Bengals fans in attendance recited the Lord’s Prayer.
Bills Quarterback Josh Allen tweeted, “Please pray for our brother.”
And in a bold, public display of faith, former NFL quarterback and now ESPN host Dan Orlovsky paused in the middle of a live TV broadcast to pray:
What stood out about Orlovsky’s prayer was the widespread praise he received. And it wasn’t only evident on ESPN. The Wall Street Journal ran an opinion piece titled “How Damar Hamlin Drove a Nation to Pray.” The New York Times featured a surprisingly positive article on the bond between football and religion.
These, of course, are just a handful of examples among countless expressions of faith that have recently taken place. Whether it’s on the biggest stage or at a local high school game, anyone who spends time watching a football is bound to come across a display of faith. There’s no denying that it’s an integral part of the game.
The Football Coach Who Was Fired for Praying
In Bremerton, Washington—just outside Seattle—high school football Coach Joe Kennedy did what countless other coaches and players do after their games: he took a knee by himself at midfield to pray and thank God.
Shockingly, he was fired for this simple act of religious expression.
When he became a football coach, Kennedy made a personal commitment to God. After every football game—win or lose—he would take a knee to pray for his team and thank God for the opportunity to be a coach. So, at his inaugural game, Coach Kennedy knelt on the 50-yard line for a brief, personal prayer.
For seven years, Coach Kennedy lived out his faith on the field without receiving any complaints. After a compliment from a school administrator from a visiting team, the Bremerton School District prohibited him from engaging in “demonstrative religious activity” and ultimately told him any religious expression would have to be done where nobody could see him.
As a U.S. Marine Corps combat veteran, Coach Kennedy knows first-hand the sacrifices one must make to protect the freedom we cherish—especially the right to freely live out one’s faith. Not praying on his own after games would mean breaking his commitment to God and forfeiting the liberties he defended.
Coach Kennedy wasn’t going to renounce his commitment simply because government officials told him to stop praying. He wasn’t going to back down simply because opposition came his way. Alongside his attorneys at First Liberty Institute, Coach Joe took his case to court. And thus began one of the most important legal battles for religious freedom in our lifetime.
A Landmark Supreme Court Victory for Religious Expression
Never one to back down from a challenge, Coach Kennedy endured years of litigation to restore his right to pray. Lower courts repeatedly ruled against him, holding that public employees are not protected by the First Amendment when they engage in religious conduct that is visible to others.
Despite numerous setbacks, his perseverance eventually took him to “first and goal” at the U.S. Supreme Court. And in June 2022, Coach Kennedy scored a landmark victory at the nation’s highest court.
In Kennedy v. Bremerton School District, the Supreme Court upheld Coach Joe’s right to take a knee in quiet prayer on the 50-yard line after games. But this didn’t just restore one coach’s religious freedom. The ruling set a precedent that’s changing the legal landscape for religious freedom in America. Thanks to this win, you and millions of Americans have more religious liberty in more than half a century.
Sept. 1: A National Night of Prayer
Coach Kennedy hasn’t been on the field since 2015. That’s almost eight seasons that he’s been unable to live out his passion. Along with you and millions across the country, we are thrilled that he will finally be back where he belongs—coaching his players and living out his faith after the game.
Sept. 1, 2023 will be a national night of prayer for everyone who’s been cheering for Coach on his long journey back to the field. We encourage you—and every American—to show your support and join us in the First Freedom Challenge!
Here’s How YOU Can Help:
- Take the First Freedom Challenge – Commit to praying with Coach Kennedy on Friday, Sept. 1. Sign up at rfia.org/challenge
- Record a short video message – up to 1 minute in length – or take a photo expressing:
- Why expressions of faith and the right to pray are important
- Why you are taking part in the First Freedom Challenge and Taking a Knee to Pray with Coach Kennedy
- Ask players, coaches, parents and fans to pray after games
- Share your message on social media using the following hashtags: #TakeAKneeWithCoach #FirstFreedomChallenge #RestoringFaithInAmerica
How Churches, Ministries and Organizations Can Get Involved:
- Join a coalition of ministries and organizations and commit to praying with Coach Kennedy on Friday, Sept. 1. Go to rfia.og/partner to sign-up
- Share a short video message – up to 1 minute in length – or a photo encouraging friends and followers to take the First Freedom Challenge and, starting on Sept. 1, pray after football games.
- Post messages throughout the month encouraging friends and followers to take the First Freedom Challenge on social media using the following hashtags: #TakeAKneeWithCoach #FirstFreedomChallenge #RestoringFaithInAmerica
