A viral moment from Saturday’s BYU-Utah rivalry game has sparked a wave of online debate — and an apology from Utah freshman kicker Dillon Curtis.
As thousands of fans bowed their heads in prayer before kickoff at LaVell Edwards Stadium, Curtis continued practicing his kickoffs. A short clip of the moment quickly spread across social media, with U.S. Sen. Mike Lee reposting it on X and questioning whether it was “poor form” to warm up during a prayer at a religious university.
Curtis Addresses the Backlash
After several days of criticism, the 18-year-old issued a public apology.
“I’ve been debating whether to comment on me kicking during the prayer,” he wrote on X. “At first I decided to just let it blow over, but I realized that isn’t the right thing to do. I want to apologize to anyone I offended. I didn’t mean anything negative — I was just warming up when my coaches told me to.”
Former Utah Star Defends the Freshman
Andy Phillips, Utah’s former kicker and a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, stepped in to defend Curtis. In an interview with The Salt Lake Tribune, Phillips urged fans — and Senator Lee — to show compassion.
“Mike, you’re a senator,” Phillips said. “You’ve got a huge following and you’re calling out an 18-year-old kid. You have no idea what was going through his head. Maybe he had zero chances to finish his pre-game routine.”
Phillips explained that kickers often have limited time and space to practice before games, especially at away stadiums. “Maybe he had his earbuds in, just trying to get ready,” he said. “And this is America — he doesn’t have to participate in prayer if he doesn’t want to. But that doesn’t mean he wasn’t being respectful.”
Calls for Perspective
Phillips also called out what he viewed as hypocrisy in the criticism: “Someone filmed during a prayer to accuse someone else of being disrespectful during a prayer. That’s ironic.”
Ultimately, Phillips hopes the issue cools down. “He’s just a kid wearing red, and people are turning it into a rivalry issue,” he said. “We need more peacemakers and fewer critics.”
The moment has now become a lesson in understanding, reminding fans that passion for the game shouldn’t overshadow empathy — especially for young athletes under immense public pressure.
