From Football Field to Supreme Court: Movie Tells True Story of Coach Joe Kennedy

The Daily Signal Podcast

A lot of things in Coach Joe Kennedy’s life have been unexpected—not the least of them being taking a major case to the Supreme Court or having a movie made about his life.

Kennedy's decision to take a knee in prayer after football games placed him in the middle of a national controversy, and thrust him into a spotlight he never asked for or wanted, since, as he acknowledges, he sees himself as a pretty “average Joe.”

The film “Average Joe” hits theaters Thursday and aims to go beyond what Americans know about the coach from news headlines to share his personal life story, says director Harold Cronk.

Kennedy was thrust off the football field and into the courtroom nearly a decade ago after he was told he could not take a knee in silent prayer on the 50-yard-line after football games. His decision to persist in his commitment to the Lord cost him his job at Bremerton High School in Bremerton, Washington, about 30 miles west of Seattle.

In 2022, after a seven-year legal fight, Kennedy won his case before the Supreme Court. In early September 2023, he returned to the football field and again took a knee in prayer at the end of the game. Later that same month, he made the choice to “retire,” telling The Daily Signal at the time that he and his wife “finished the fight.”

“You know, we were in the race to finish the fight, and we’ve remained faithful, and that’s it,” he said.

Kennedy and Cronk join “The Daily Signal Podcast” to discuss the making of the movie and what they hope viewers take away from the film.