Joe Kennedy has become an increasingly universal cause celebré among Christian rights advocates, particularly during the Trump presidency. Now a legendary college football coach has come forward to compare what Kennedy did at a public high school to what he did at a public state university.

RELATED: Trump: ‘Outrageous’ that Washington prep coach lost job over prayers on field

In an interview on Fox News’ The Story, Kennedy — a former Bremerton (Wash.) assistant football coach who was dismissed because he refused to stop leading pregame prayer — and his lawyer were joined by former Florida State football coach Bobby Bowden. The legendary Seminoles leader said he was “proud” of Kennedy, and even compared the prayer Kennedy was leading at Bremerton.

“I’m proud of him for standing up for what he believes,” Bowden told Fox News. “I’m proud of him for putting God first.

“I don’t know how I didn’t get fired because I prayed all the time at Florida State.”

Obviously, it’s worth noting that we have no details about precisely how Bowden led prayer at Florida State, just that he did so. And he obviously was attempting to support Kennedy as much as possible after he agreed to come on a program geared at supporting Kennedy’s ongoing legal battle to regain his position at Bremerton.

Still, it’s notable in itself that Bowden has injected himself in the debate, as Trump did before. None of this is any indication that Kennedy’s case may be reversed, but it’s clear that the former coach isn’t going to just go away quietly, no matter how long he’s been removed from coaching.