BYU, Boise State football teams shake hands in prayer. Why and how?

Players from BYU and Boise State created a stunning picture Friday night as they held each other’s hands and knelt together on the blue turf of Boise’s Albertson Stadium after a game between two nationally ranked football teams.

Pastor Mark Thornton stood between them and some of the players bowed and others prayed over him as he lowered his face to heaven. Virtually every player on both teams participated. Logos were covered in midfield and spread to 15 yards in the big fight between rivals who are usually on the field.

It’s rare, Thornton said.

One photo made rounds on social media, but some references are missing. How did the unusual prayer happen? Why were the players at Ethon Public University praying with the people of the private Utah school of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints? And what do those players and coaches mean?

B.Y.U. Prayers are a key part of both programs, according to interviews with players Gunner Romney and Isaac Rex and Avery Williams of Boise State. BYU’s postgame prayers usually take place in the locker room and Boys State has one in midfield each week.

“We’re like this: we start with prayer, we end with prayer, and we go to glorify God,” said Thornton, who is the team’s character.

He usually later reaches the other school team’s porch before the game to invite opponents to join the Broncos for prayer in midfield, but he didn’t know BYU had the team’s congregation. That’s why BYU players began to fill the Blue Turf on Friday night, then beat the 21st-ranked Boise State, 51-17, after the ninth-ranked Cougars in the country.

Thornton then met BYU head coach Kalani Sitak.

“Hey, we’re getting ready for prayer,” he said.

“Can we connect you to the people?” Sitak asked. He then called his players back to the 50-yard line.

Scott G. Winterton, Deseret News

“I’m grateful for the BYU coach,” Thornton said this week. “We play against some teams that don’t have a board. We play against other teams that didn’t let their players stay and pray, even though the other team’s players wanted to join us in prayer. ”

Boise State co-captain Avery Williams was stunned when virtually the entire BYU team joined the prayer circle.

“I don’t know if the whole team has joined us in the years that followed. It means a lot, “he said.

Sitak said he would not have missed out.

“When a team invites our team to kneel and praise God for the opportunity to play, we will not turn it down,” he said. “What a great invitation from them. I was really impressed with their whole game, a great program with wonderful sportsmanship and you know, hopefully we can make that kind of impact on other programs when we play it. “

Friday’s prayer had additional meaning as it happened in an emerging regional feud. The schools have played each other for nine straight nine years and are scheduled to play in 13 of the next 14 seasons.

Some players said praying with their opponents is grounding.

“Football is a competitive sport, so you’re competing, you’re talking trash, you’re fighting with people on the field, but at the end of the day, you know, it’s just a game. There may be strong feelings in this area but once you get out of this area, they are your brothers. You have to love them a little bit, ”said Romney of BYU, the 10th-ranked junior in the nation with 648 yards.

“It’s such a big animosity and we can be really physical with each other, compete really hard with each other and then let go of our pride, let go of our ego, let go of what happened for two-three hours and thank God , It says something about both schools, ”added Williams of Boise State, a fast-paced monster who is a player on special teams at the governing Mountain West Conference, with six career touchdowns on kick and punt returns.

When they are rivals, a lot of players know each other, which has added another layer of meaning to the experience.

Boyce State linebacker and co-captain Riley Wimpy and BYU’s Rex are friends who grew up together in San Clement, California, the same letter-day St. Ward and the same high school-educated friends.

“I was kneeling next to him after the game and we prayed with the whole team. It was a really great experience and something I will never forget, ”said Rex, who had a tight end catching two touchdown passes in the game and is now 10th in the country with six touchdown catches.

Thornton loved that aspect of praying with teams

“It’s a small world, you know?” He said. “We have Utah and California guys whose friends play at BYU. You’re enemies during the game, rivals, but later it’s like, “Hey, you know what?” I’m going to see you at Christmas time, ‘or’ I’ll see you during the summer. ‘So, it’s neat to bring them all together after the competition. “

Thornton said he thanked her for the opportunity to play the game. Both teams have pushed their schedules forward by epidemics. BYU is unbeaten and is now ranked 8th in the country. Boyz State dropped out of the top 25 but is 2-1 and is still in control of its fate in the Mountain West Conference Championship race.

“We prayed for the injured on both sides for that area, just for a quick recovery for them,” Thornton said. “We have blessed BYU and just prayed that they continue to have a great season, and at the same time we have a great season.”

BYU photo

While BYU is a private religious organization and Boys State is a state school, the role of faith in both of their football programs is very similar.

The Thornton Boys State leads the players to the chapel the night before each game and joins the player-led prayer with the 95% team in the hodgepodge after warm-up warm-ups. He said usually 15 to 25 players are asked to pray in person with them before the game starts.

Thornten estimated that 60% of Bois State players are evangelical Christians and about 30% are letter-day saints. Others are Catholics or “seekers” or atheists, he said.

Boise’s coaches emphasize mind, body, soul and spirit. Williams said the Bronco coaches are God’s men who join Chapel’s team, but the senior defensive back said no coaches or players force anyone to pray or join Chapel meetings. Still, 85% to 90% are shown.

Letter-day St. linebacker and co-captain, Whimpy is usually in the front row for the chapel, Thornton said. They added that sectarianism takes the place of sectarian differences behind the common belief in Jesus Christ.

“Faith really unites us,” Williams said. “We have this relationship with God, and we realize we are much older than we are.”

Thornton, a Bronco player in 1984-85, played a role in guiding Boise State believers during life’s asons.

“There’s just all sorts of emotions, all sorts of worries and things that come up that don’t necessarily lie in the game.” “Coaches make a big deal by encouraging prayer time and Bible study time by giving chapels.”

Prayer and the study of scripture are part of the BYU experience. Classes begin with prayer, as do all campus events, including sports. Students are required to take religion courses as part of their general education.

“We pray every day before the meetings,” Romney said. “Throughout the week in all the practice we open with prayer, and before the games we all get together and pray, and then after the games, we thank God. That’s one thing that’s really cool, and I think it brought us very close as a team. ”

Holding hands with an opponent, even the one who beats his team badly, is natural for Williams of Boise State.

“He’s very much a thinker for me,” he said. “We all understand that our faith is much bigger than football. At some point the players have to hang the cleats and we won’t play at any time, but the confidence continues and the confidence goes on and everyone realizes that. That’s not why, ‘Oh, can I hold my partner’s hand?’ Or ‘Can I really hold an opponent’s hand?’ He has no brains. Confidence is much bigger than this game. ”