Atheists demand that coach Deion Sanders stop praying before the game

By Leonard BlairSenior Reporter Monday, October 28, 2024

Colorado Buffaloes head coach, Super Bowl winner and NFL Hall of Famer Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders is under fire from an atheist group for organizing team prayers and other religious activities.

“We have come to know that Coach Sanders continues to connect the university’s football program with religion and engages in religious exercises with students and staff,” the Wisconsin-based Freedom From Religion Foundation said in a statement. recent letter university management, pointing to the post-game prayer with the Colorado Buffaloes last month won against Baylor University.

Before Pastor E. Dewey Smith of House of Hope Church in Atlanta, Georgia Sanders delivered the prayer recorded a declaration for the band: “If you don’t believe in the Lord, you better believe in Him now.”

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Smith then delivered a prayer thanking God for the victory.

“God, we thank you for the victory tonight, thank you for keeping us relatively safe. Thank you for continuing to bless us despite our imperfections, Lord. And thank you for being with us until the end. Lord, some call it Hail Mary, some call it karma, some call it luck, but in my faith tradition we call it Jesus,” Smith said.

STRONG: Colorado HC @DeionSanders leads the team in post-game prayers

“If you don’t believe in the Lord, you better believe in Him now” – Prime

“Lord, some call it Hail Mary, karma, happiness, but in my faith tradition we call it Jesus.” @edeweysmithpic.twitter.com/mukc9gHJNF

— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) September 22, 2024

Samantha F. Lawrence, an attorney for FFRF, said in the organization’s letter that Smith apparently served as the team’s chaplain despite assurances in January 2023 from the university that Sanders had been informed and seemed open to “the limits to which players and coaches can , but need not engage in the expression of religious views.”

“Coach Sanders’ team is comprised of young and impressionable student-athletes who would not risk giving up scholarships, playing time or losing a good recommendation from their coach by speaking out or voluntarily abandoning his unconstitutional religious activities – even if they strongly disagree with his beliefs,” Lawrence argued.

“Coaches exert enormous influence and power over student-athletes, and these student-athletes will follow their coach’s example. Using the position of coach to promote Christianity is tantamount to unconstitutional religious coercion,” the letter continued. “The University of Colorado must once again take action to protect the First Amendment rights of its student-athletes.”

“Coach Sanders must understand that he was hired to coach football, not to force student-athletes to engage in his preferred religious practices. He must stop infusing the football program with Christianity. We request that you notify us in writing of the actions the university is taking to ensure that Coach Sanders ends his proselytizing of student-athletes for good.”

The University of Colorado did not immediately respond Monday to a request for comment on the FFRF demand letter.

FFRF has requested that the university provide all documentation relating to the football programs, university or athletic departments related to Rev. E. Dewey Smith’s involvement with the football team, including travel plans, itineraries and financial records, including payments made to him and reimbursements.

Also required are records of all university and related policies and documentation provided to Coach Sanders in connection with “making religious remarks, offering or leading prayers, promoting religion, or otherwise associating the Football Program with religion while serving as head coach.”