The National Football League is notorious for ridiculous rules when it comes to “excessive celebration” penalties, but is there a penalty for expressing religious values?

On Sept. 29, Kansas City Chiefs’ safety Husain Abdullah intercepted New England Patriots’ quarterback Tom Brady’s pass and returned it for a touchdown. He was penalized for excessive celebration after he slid into the endzone and began to pray. Within seconds, the NFL was under fire.

“Sliding” in the end- zone falls under the category of the NFL’s “going to the ground” rule. The only exception is if the player is praying during the celebration.

Abdullah is an active Muslim, and fans began to be critical of the NFL referees because of Abdullah’s Islamic beliefs. The timing of the flag looked as though the referees were flagging him for thanking Allah for his touchdown. Abdullah believes that he was flagged for sliding into the endzone, not because he was praying.

The NFL was very quick to give an explanation as to why the referees called the penalty and what the exception of the rule is.
As long as the player does not go to the ground in celebration, there is not a penalty.

Abdullah is not the only NFL player to express his religious values and beliefs during celebrations. Over the years, the NFL has had its fair share of religious players.

Former NFL quarterback Tim Tebow is a devout Christian. He is famous for his celebration/praying stance, known as “Tebowing.”
Retired quarterback and Super Bowl champion Kurt Warner is an Evangelical Christian. He is known for saying in post game interviews: “First things first, I’ve got to thank my Lord and Savior up above.”

During his career, Pro Hall of Fame cornerback Deion Sanders received counseling from a Bishop so he could separate himself from the secular world and become more devout to God.

San Diego Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers and his wife are “diehard Catholics.” They run a charity that benefits orphans and foster children.

Some teams in the NFL have Chaplains on staff to counsel and prepare a bible study for players.

For example, around 10 Seahawks gather at their team facility for a bible study every Friday. Their Chaplain, Karl Payne, has been with the Seahawks for over 20 years and is on standby around the clock. He provides guidance and support to help athletes become stronger in their faith. In this case, they become thankful for their talents.

The situation with Abdullah made me realize how important religion or faith can be to athletes. Even though he was not penalized for praying, this brought religion to the attention of many. Abdullah is maybe the only openly Islamic follower in the league. To him, it is important to thank Allah for all of his efforts in scoring a touchdown or making a play. For that, I admire him.

If you are a football player, you should be able to express your faith on a national stage, and no one should be judged or penalized because of the way they celebrate a touchdown.