{"id":2353613,"date":"2024-10-11T09:05:02","date_gmt":"2024-10-11T13:05:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/joe-kennedy-hopes-average-joe-film-inspires-others-to-stand-for-faith-and-freedom-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2024-10-11T09:06:43","modified_gmt":"2024-10-11T13:06:43","slug":"joe-kennedy-hopes-average-joe-film-inspires-others-to-stand-for-faith-and-freedom-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/joe-kennedy-hopes-average-joe-film-inspires-others-to-stand-for-faith-and-freedom-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"Joe Kennedy hopes \u2018Average Joe\u2019 film inspires others to stand for faith and freedom &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">34<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fjoe-kennedy-hopes-average-joe-film-inspires-others-to-stand-for-faith-and-freedom-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2353613&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Joe Kennedy, a former <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/i-continue-to-stand-firm-in-my-conviction-of-faith-navy-football-coach-says-he-was-fired-after-refusing-covid-vaccine\/\" title=\"\u2018I Continue To Stand Firm In My Conviction Of Faith\u2019: Navy Football Coach Says He Was Fired After Refusing COVID Vaccine\">assistant football coach<\/a> \u200cat Bremerton High School in Washington, is eager to inspire\u200d others through his life story, which will be depicted in the film *Average Joe*, debuting \u2062in theaters nationwide. The film chronicles \u200bhis challenging\u200c upbringing, service in\u200d the Marine Corps, career\u200c as\u200c a football coach, and the eight-year \u2063legal\u2063 battle he faced after\u2063 being fired\u2062 for\u200b kneeling in prayer at the 50-yard\u2064 line post-games. Kennedy&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/justice-breyers-final-a-few-months-on-scotus-dominated-by-abortion-and-guns-cases\/\" title=\"Justice Breyer\u2019s Final A few months on SCOTUS Dominated by Abortion and Guns Cases\">case eventually reached<\/a> the Supreme Court, which \u2062ruled in his favor, affirming his First Amendment right to \u2063religious expression. \u200bHe reflects on the mixed emotions surrounding\u200d the film&#8217;s release, acknowledging the vulnerability of sharing his personal life. Kennedy hopes that his story will encourage others to stand for their faith and freedoms, emphasizing the\u2062 importance of perseverance and maintaining one&#8217;s beliefs \u2062even in difficult times. The film and its themes are personal to him, aiming to show \u2064the struggles \u200cand triumphs of standing\u200b up for\u200d one&#8217;s convictions.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Joe Kennedy hopes &lsquo;Average Joe&rsquo; film inspires others to stand for faith and freedom<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1780083\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>Football coach <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/opinion\/3177910\/average-joe-praying-football-coach-supreme-court-to-silver-screen\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Joe Kennedy<\/a> said he hopes to inspire others as his journey to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/supreme-court\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Supreme Court<\/a> to defend his <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/first-amendment\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>First Amendment<\/a> rights hits the big screen this weekend.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/film\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title><em>Average Joe<\/em><\/a>  debuts across theaters nationwide this Friday, detailing his life story that includes a rough childhood in foster care, serving in the Marine Corps, becoming a football coach, receiving disciplinary action for kneeling in prayer at the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/24-gop-ags-ask-scotus-to-review-case-of-high-school-coach-fired-for-praying-after-games\/\" title=\"24 GOP AGs Ask SCOTUS To Review Case Of High School Coach Fired For Praying After Games\">50-yard line<\/a> after a high school game, and eight years of legal battles that almost ended his marriage but resulted in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/2878752\/supreme-court-hands-first-amendment-victory-to-praying-football-coach\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>a favorable Supreme Court decision<\/a> acknowledging his First Amendment right of religious expression.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve been trying to come up with better words, but it&rsquo;s really weird. It&rsquo;s exciting at the same time,&rdquo; Kennedy told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>, commenting on his anticipation of the film telling his story. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s really scary to have our whole lives on screen. My wife has been really shielded this entire time from the press. Now everybody&rsquo;s going to know all of our business. We don&rsquo;t hide anything. We show the nitty-gritty of life and the struggles that people go through.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"youtube-embed\" data-video_id=\"Ehsy7aehAX8\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Average Joe - Official Trailer (2024)\" width=\"696\" height=\"392\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Ehsy7aehAX8?feature=oembed&amp;enablejsapi=1\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s cool that God can use somebody as simple as us to share a story and begin to inspire others,&rdquo; he added. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m just trying to keep my head down and let God do his work and hopefully inspire others to be able to share their faith and their love for their country.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Kennedy said 2 Timothy 4:7 was a grounding reminder for him on the long legal road that eventually led to the Supreme Court.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;It says fight the good fight, finish your race, and remain faithful. And that&rsquo;s all I could do because nowhere in there does it say that you will win the fight. That&rsquo;s God&rsquo;s victory. He&rsquo;s already got that all worked out. We just need to be able to fight the fight and remain faithful throughout it,&rdquo; Kennedy said. &ldquo;And when things look at their darkest, that&rsquo;s when you get to have your light shine and be able to push through because you will be able to make it through. Just stay grounded and never ever give up the things that are important.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Kennedy was the assistant varsity football coach for Bremerton High School in Bremerton, Washington. He was fired for praying on the field after games in 2015. After a legal battle, the Supreme Court agreed to hear Kennedy&rsquo;s case in January 2022. Around <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/2883906\/watch-praying-football-coach-responds-to-si-tweet-slamming-his-supreme-court-case\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>six months later<\/a>, on June&nbsp;27, the Supreme Court announced its decision in the coach&rsquo;s favor.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;It was really just the weight of the world being lifted off of my shoulders. The way that the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/becerra-falsely-claims-he-never-sued-any-nuns\/\" title=\"Becerra Falsely Claims He \u2018Never Sued Any Nuns\u2019\">lower courts ruled<\/a> is that any display of religion in the public square could get you terminated, and that was going to be the standing case law, which was terrible,&rdquo; Kennedy said. &ldquo;I wish I could say it was a big celebration, but it wasn&rsquo;t. It was finally, after eight years of fighting, knowing that what we were doing was right and that the legal system and the Constitution are alive and well and that the First Amendment means exactly what it says it is.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Joe Kennedy, a former assistant football coach at Bremerton High School in Bremerton, Washington, became known as the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/supreme-court-signals-victory-for-praying-football-coach\/\" title=\"Supreme Court Signals Victory for Praying Football Coach\">praying football coach<\/a> after being fired in 2015 for his postgame prayers. His lengthy legal battles took his First Amendment fight all the way to the Supreme Court, and on June 27, 2022, the Supreme Court ruled in a 6-3 opinion in his favor. (Photo provided by Joe Kennedy)<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Following the Supreme Court&rsquo;s decision in 2022, Kennedy was reinstated as an assistant football coach. He returned to the field to coach one game on Sept. 1, 2023.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Kennedy then resigned and now travels the country sharing his story in hopes of inspiring others and promoting the freedom of speech.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title><strong><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p><em>Average Joe, <\/em>distributed by GND Media Group, stars Eric Close of <em>Nashville<\/em> and <em>American Sniper<\/em> as Kennedy alongside Amy Acker of <em>Catch Me If You Can<\/em> as Kennedy&rsquo;s wife, Denise.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Kennedy&rsquo;s book, also titled <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Average-Joe-Coach-Kennedy-Story\/dp\/1684515092\/ref=asc_df_1684515092?tag=bngsmtphsnus-20&amp;linkCode=df0&amp;hvadid=80539352222814&amp;hvnetw=s&amp;hvqmt=e&amp;hvbmt=be&amp;hvdev=c&amp;hvlocint=&amp;hvlocphy=&amp;hvtargid=pla-4584138880946949&amp;psc=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Average Joe\">Average Joe<\/a>, was <\/em>released in October 2023.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1780083\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1780083\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Joe Kennedy aims to inspire faith and freedom through &#8216;Average Joe&#8217; film<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2689,"featured_media":2353614,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Joe-Kennedy-praying-football-coach-scaled-1024x683.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[42796,5250,4439,20217,42795],"class_list":["post-2353613","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-average-joe","tag-faith","tag-freedom","tag-inspiration","tag-joe-kennedy"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Joe-Kennedy-praying-football-coach-scaled-1024x683.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2353613","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2689"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2353613"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2353613\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2353614"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2353613"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2353613"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2353613"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}