Coach Joe Kennedy lauded as ‘hero’ after taking knee in prayer for first time since Supreme Court victory
Asher Notheis
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Football coach Joe Kennedy was praised on social media when he returned to the football stadium to pray, with many calling him a “hero” for fighting his battle for religious freedom.
Kennedy, a football coach at Bremerton High School in Washington state, was fired in 2015 for taking a knee and praying on the field after games, a “ritual” he told the Washington Examiner began in 2008 and lasted for seven years until school officials told him to cease his silent prayers. After suing the Bremerton School District for firing him in violation of his freedom of religion, which culminated in a 2022 Supreme Court ruling that was in his favor, Kennedy returned to the field on Friday night to resume his tradition.
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“I used to run marathons quite a bit, and you never think you’re going to get to the end, and when you finally see that finish line, and you’re [thinking] ‘I just want to get across it,'” Kennedy said in a video posted to social media. “And that’s what tonight was. It was that perfect icing on the cake, and we finished the race. We did it together, and there’s nothing better than keeping the faith throughout that.”
https://twitter.com/Virginia_Allen5/status/1697842875869114731?s=20
Kennedy’s return to the field was praised on social media, with many users thanking him for standing up for his faith. Footage of his first prayer on the field since 2015 was also posted on X, the platform once known as Twitter.
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In the wake of the Supreme Court ruling in Kennedy’s favor, the school district has a new prayer policy that allows coaches to pray on the field under the condition they do not invite anyone to join them. They are also required to be at least 25 feet from students when they start praying, according to KATU2.
Prior to returning to the field, Kennedy told the Washington Examiner on Thursday he was looking forward to fulfilling his goal to stand up against the district’s threatening disapproval, despite saying officials there still aren’t “really happy” about his return. He also said he is leaving the door open to if he will continue coaching for another eight years.
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“I asked to be a coach again and to be able to pray,” Kennedy said ahead of the game. “Well, I’m a coach again. Now I just have to take that knee on the 50-yard line, and I’ll feel like I’ve completed it.”
Kennedy is working on a new book, titled Average Joe: The Coach Joe Kennedy Story, which details his career beginning as a 20-year Marine Corps veteran to his time as a praying coach and the court battle he faced as a coach; the book is due to be released on Oct. 24. Additionally, a movie about his life, also titled Average Joe, is in production by GND Media Group, the producer behind God’s Not Dead movie series.