CV NEWS FEED // Deion Sanders, who coaches the University of Colorado’s football team and is an NFL Hall of Fame cornerback and former MLB outfielder, has garnered national attention for praying with his athletes after a football game.
Deseret News reports that both the Freedom from Religion Foundation (FFRF) and the First Liberty Institute (FLI) have contacted the University after Sanders posted a September 21 video of himself and a pastor named E. Dewey Smith praying with the team after a victory against Baylor.
Dewey Smith prayed:
God, we thank you tonight for victory, thank you that you kept us relatively safe. Thank you that in spite of our imperfections you still blessed us, Lord. And thank you for being with us to the end. Lord, some people call it Hail Mary, some people call it karma, some people call it luck, but in my faith tradition, we call it Jesus. Grace, thank you for your mercy, bless us, help us to grow from this, learn from this, and take it to the next level. We give you praise, we thank you, in your name we pray, amen.
The Freedom from Religion Foundation sent a letter to the university arguing that Sanders unconstitutionally “coerced” the players into praying, violating their freedom of religion.
“Coach Sanders’ team is full of young and impressionable student athletes who would not risk giving up their scholarship, playing time or losing a good recommendation from the coach by speaking out or voluntarily opting out of his unconstitutional religious activities — even if they strongly disagree with his beliefs,” the letter argued.
First Liberty Institute (FLI), a law firm dedicated to defending religious liberty, responded by sending the university a letter in Sanders’ defense. The letter argued, “Dating back to the Continental Congress in 1776, the United States has a robust and widely recognized tradition of both public prayer and chaplain programs.”
FLI’s letter stated that Pastor Smith is the university’s chaplain. However, in a statement to CatholicVote, the university’s Director of Athletics Strategic Communications Steve Hurlbert stated that Smith is a personal friend of Sanders who is unaffiliated with the school.
Deseret News states that the FFRF had sent a letter to the University of Colorado in 2022 in which it argued that Sanders forced his team members to pray. The university responded by sending Sanders to training about religious expression.
FLI responded to the university’s 2022 statement by raising concerns over a possible First Amendment violation and asked the university to clarify its policies on free speech. Deseret News stated that the previous conflict “ultimately blew over” without a lawsuit.
Sanders is a two-time Super Bowl Championship with the San Francisco 49ers and the Dallas Cowboys. He also played for the Atlanta Braves in the 1992 World Series.