An "Average Joe" football coach on scoring a First Amendment win at the "Supreme Bowl" + Hallow's "Hail Mary" Super Bowl pass + Five faith-themed films in the pipeline

Here’s the latest from the crossroads of faith, media & culture: 02/09/24

Line of scrimmage. Last June, Joe Kennedy (no relation) held the line against the legal assault on free speech and worship when he won his Supreme Court case stemming from his dismissal from his football coaching job at Bremerton High School in Washington State for his persistence in openly (though quietly) praying after games. Though he won his job back he surprised everyone by resigning shortly thereafter. His story is told in his book Average Joe: One Man’s Faith and the Fight to Change a Nation.

JWK: Congratulations, first of all, on your court victory.

Joe Kennedy: Thank you.

JWK: Let’s start at the beginning. How did you get into coaching to begin with?

JK: My wife was working at the school district at the time. I was out on a run in Bremerton which is the town that we grew up in. She got me a Bremerton Knights shirt. The athletic director saw it and stopped me. We started chatting it up. He found out I was a marine and my wife worked there at the school district. So, we hit it off. He wanted to know if I ever thought about coaching. So, he pursued me for about a year and he got me to coach.

JWK: Did you have any background in football?

JK: No. I played a couple of years of Marine Corps football but that’s way different than regular football.

JWK: I understand you’re a former atheist. How did you go from that to praying at the end of football games?

JK: I found my faith – I don’t know – maybe a year after I retired from the Marine Corps. My wife and I were at odds with each other. I didn’t know how to be a good husband or a father. I had nowhere else to turn. Finally, I just turned to God. I made a deal with Him that I would give Him my life if He worked it out with my wife. So, that’s how that all started. Then I was watching Facing the Giants, the football movie. When I saw that it was like God was calling me to coach. So, I just made a commitment there and that was my covenant (with) God. I said “I’ll give you glory after every game, win or lose” – just like in the movie. That’s what I did.

JWK: And they fired you.

JK: Yeah.

JWK: What made you decide to fight and not just go away?

JK: Number One, this all started from a compliment. Somebody else saw what we were doing and called the principal and said “Hey! What your football program is doing is awesome!” So, they started an investigation. Based on that they wanted to navigate the whole Establishment Clause and the Separation of Church and State. I told them that “Hey, I have my rights to able to pray. This is America. You can follow your faith wherever you want.” So, they ended up giving me a letter and said “Stop praying with your team.” And I did. I never prayed with my team again. Then they gave me another letter and said “No, you’re still praying. If you don’t stop we’re gonna have to put you on administrative leave until you comply with the school district’s policy.” So, that’s how that all started.

JWK: So, you actually did stop praying with your team. You were doing it privately but people could still see you doing it and that was their issue.

JK: Absolutely correct, yes.

JWK: And the kids did not feel pressured to pray or anything? You didn’t pressure them in any way?

JK: No…I always said if I was forcing kids to do it I should be fired. Telling somebody they have to pray is just as bad as telling them that they can’t pray.

JWK: Do you ever feel like there’s a double standard for these things in the media? Tim Tebow used to take a knee at the end of games and he got mocked and criticized by some who found it inappropriate. Colin Kaepernick, on the other hand, would take a knee for a different cause and he was hailed for it. Do you think when Christianity or religion is involved people often take a different view of these things?

JK: Yeah, I really think that they do. By the way, I think Kaepernick got it from me because he started in 2016 and I started praying in way before that. So, I think he stole that from me. Just a fun little factoid.

(Seriously) I really believe that there are too many Americans that don’t know what the Constitution is about. They don’t understand what the rights of Freedom of Speech and Freedom of Religion are…Everybody’s under the assumption that you cannot intertwine your faith and the secular parts of the world. I totally disagree with that. This is America. You can practice your faith wherever you want. You don’t have to hide it because you’re in the public square. I mean WE are the public. Who do they think is making up this public? So, yeah. Everybody has the same rights.

JWK: So, I assume from what you’re saying, you would feel the same if it was a Jewish person or Muslim person who was publicly saying a prayer at the end of a game. The same principle holds.

JK: Oh, yeah. Even with Kaepernick, as much as I dislike what he was doing and what he was doing during the National Anthem, the same protection that the Constitution provides for him is the same one that provides it for me. It doesn’t matter if I like it or not. I will fight to defend everybody’s rights – no matter what their religion is or their beliefs. I mean America is America.

JWK: When you were a Marine, did you serve overseas?

JK: Yes, I did. I did quite a few kicks overseas. I deployed a bunch of times and I did go to combat in Desert Storm.

JWK: Wow! Thank you for your service. With that experience, did you feel affronted after coming home and having your own rights trampled on?

JK: Yeah. I just couldn’t wrap my brain around that. After serving so long to defend and support the Constitution, I never thought that I would have to be doing that even for myself once I got home and I’m out of the Marine Corps. I guess a marine’s job is never done. You’ve got to stay vigilant and stay in the fight for all Americans.

JWK: How long did your court battle go on?

JK: The court battle was eight years. It took me nine football seasons to get back on the football field.

JWK: What was your reaction when you finally won?

JK: It was almost shock – because it went on for so long. Eight years is just forever! We heard “no, no, no” and that I was wrong so many times. When it actually happened it was almost anticlimactic. It was like “This is what we expected from the beginning.” So, we just really gave each other a high five. It just made me feel really good to know that the courts actually do work – because I had no faith in them at the lower level. It took us all the way to the Supreme Court before they looked at the facts and the Constitution.

JWK: Shortly after you won and were allowed back to work, you decided to leave the job even though you won the case. Why was that?

JK: I went back in the spring. The day that they reinstated me I was there at the school district’s office and I received a letter of reinstatement. That’s when spring ball was happening. They hit me with a bunch of red tape so I never even got to step on the field during spring. I met with the head coach and I said “We’ll try again in the fall.” I showed up at the first day of fall camp and went through fall camp with the team and all the coaches. After the first game, my wife and I started praying about what we do now. The moment happened. What we asked for was to be a coach again and to be able to pray after a football game. Then we were asking God (about) how long we do this. That Tuesday of the next week we got my father-in-law’s test results back from his CT scan and they did not look so good. That was a clear sign. It was the actual first real decision my wife and I made with God without anybody else’s interference.

JWK: How is your father-in-law now? I hope he’s okay.

JK: He’s making it. He’s a stubborn old guy…He’s in great spirits.

JWK: So, the producers of God’s Not Dead are doing a movie on your story.

JK: They shot for 22 days in Louisiana. My wife and I got to go and be on the set, meet all the actors and fill them in on the story behind the scenes to give them more context of who we are. They wanted to be true to us, try to get the right message and be faithful. So, that was quite an experience. It’s very weird to see your life being played right in front of you by other people.

JWK: Eric Close and Amy Acker are playing you and your wife, right?

JK: That is correct.

JWK: Do you feel like they nailed it?

JK: I think they did. I think they did an awesome job. Eric kind of picked me up real easy. I’m a pretty simple kind of guy. I’m just straightforward. Amy did a wonderful job playing Denise. She spent a lot of time with Denise. They sat there and they laughed, they cried, they shared stories with each other. I think she really captured the essence of Denise so I’m really happy about that.

JWK: When can we expect to see this movie out?

JK: They say October is going to be the release date. I don’t have an exact date yet. We’re hoping that one of the trailers will come out in the next couple of weeks.

JWK: Meanwhile, you and your wife have accepted a theology scholarship, right?

JK: Yeah. We’re almost three weeks into it now. We’re both taking classes and both learning about the Old Testament and the mission field.

JWK: So, are you two thinking about starting a ministry?

JK: We’re (kicking) that around. I don’t know where God’s gonna take us. He might just have me…get a normal job working nine to five – but I want to be available to serve wherever I’m needed and wherever I’m called.

JWK: Who do you like in the Super Bowl on Sunday?

JK: It’s kind of a mix. I’m going for the Chiefs just because the 49ers are a big rival of Seattle and everybody on the west coast…I think the Chiefs are gonna edge them out.

JWK: We’ll see how that holds up. We’ll all be watching, of course. Anything else you’d like to say as we wrap up?

JK: I just think it’s awesome that we’re coming to the wrap of the 2024 season already. I’m already starting to look (ahead toward) next year – especially with college (football)…Also we’ve got the presidential election coming up so I’m excited for the rest of the year. There’s gonna be a lot of things happening here in America.

JWK: I don’t know if you want to get into politics but, as long as you brought it up, do you have any thoughts on the way this race is going and what you might like to see happen?

JK: Oh, yeah. I honestly can’t see Biden being viable for another term. They can’t tell the American public (yet) that he’s not going to remain president. I’ve got some thoughts on who the Democrats are gonna take but I’m still sticking with Trump. He backed me up when I needed him so I will be a true fan for him. He’s not just a politician. I think we need to straighten some things up in the country. We don’t need any more politicians messing it up.

JWK: So, Trump sided with you in your legal battle?

JK: Yes, he did. He absolutely did. He did a lot for conservatives and for religious freedom here in America. You know, with the judges that he put into place he kinda brought the country back to, I would say, more toward the center instead of it being ultra-liberal or ultra-conservative. I think the justice system is supposed to be blind to both of those so I think he kind of evened it out a little bit. He’s always supported me. He’s tweeted out (in support of me). We’ve met with each other. I got to shake his hand. I got to talk to him a few times. I’m one of those loyal guys. I’ll stick with him until the end.
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Taking a knee during the Big Game. Move over Bud Light. Hallow, billed as the No. 1 prayer app in the world, is unveiling its own Super Bowl ad this Sunday. Co-starring Jonathan Roumie (The Chosen) and Mark Wahlberg (Father Stu), the 30-second spot which is set to air shortly before half time will encourage fans to take time away from the spectacle on the field and spend a quiet moment with God. It is Sunday, after all, and Ash Wednesday (aka the beginning of Lent) is just three days away. Not coincidentally, of course, Ash Wednesday also serves as the launch date for Hallow’s annual Pray 40 Community Prayer Challenge to help Christians draw closer to God as Easter approaches.

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Coming Attractions.

Here are some faith and family-friendly films you might want to have on your radar.

Kung Fu Panda 4 (March 4)
In a story said to combine martial arts and humor with profound messages of courage, resilience and embracing one’s true self, the latest edition of the successful Universal Studios animated franchise has Po (voiced by Jack Black) chosen to become the spiritual leader of the Valley of Peace as a wicked sorceress plots to assemble all the evil demons he has previously vanquished. The all-star voice cast also features Awkwafina, Viola Davis, Dustin Hoffman, James Hong, Bryan Cranston, Ian McShane and Ke Huy Quan.

Cabrini (March 8)
The Angel Studios biopic recounts the story of Francesca Cabrini (aka Mother Cabrini), an audacious Italian immigrant and Catholic nun who championed the cause of better education and healthcare for poor immigrants. Cristiana Dell’Anna (Gomorrah) stars in the title role, leading a cast that includes John Lithgow (Killers of the Flower Moon, Third Rock from the Sun), David Morse (The Green Mile, St. Elsewhere) and Giancarlo Giannini (Quantum of Solace) as Pope Leo XIII.

The Hopeful (April)
The Fathom Events drama set in 19th century England tells the true story of William Miller who, after having survived a fierce battle in the War of 1812, questions why God spared his life. The sweeping saga that ensues sows the seeds for the global faith movement that was to become the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

Possom Trot (July 4)
The Angel Studios film chronicles 22 families belonging to the tiny Bennett Chapel in the small community of Possum Trot in the woods of East Texas who adopted 77 of the most difficult to place children in the local foster care system, igniting a national movement for vulnerable children that continues today.

LarryBoy (working title/2026)

Looking further out, Big Idea Content Group and Kingstone Studios have announce a collaborative development agreement to bring the Veggie Tales suction cup-eared faith-based superhero to the big screen for the first time.

John W. Kennedy is a writer, producer and media development consultant specializing in television and movie projects that uphold positive timeless values, including trust in God.

Encourage one another and build each other up – 1 Thessalonians 5:11

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