BREMERTON, Wash. -- Former Bremerton High School assistant football coach Joseph Kennedy says he never wanted to become a symbol of the religious right, or to have his name mentioned by political figures including Sen. Ted Cruz and former President Donald Trump.
All he wanted, he says, was to connect with young people by coaching football, and to connect with God by saying a brief midfield prayer after each game.
"I'd take a knee and thank God for what the guys just did and the opportunity to be a coach," Kennedy told ESPN, adding: "I wanted to hang out with my players and develop these young men.