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concerned, the chaplain is 100% “a fully integrated member ofthe football team itself.” “He is the team chaplain, he doesn’t goby any other name. I’ve never heard anything else other thanteam chaplain. So it’s 100%.” When asked if it was fair to callchaplains by another title such as player development coachor character coach, our interviewee said, “No, it’s definitelynot … he doesn’t preach on character, he preaches the Bible.”Most chaplains schedule official bible studies, chapel servicesor mass, or in the case of Illinois and other schools, both. 80To increase peer pressure and ensure maximum attendance,these religious events tend to be centered on times whenthe team is likely to be congregated together, such as,immediately before or after meals or team meetings. 81Sometimes these services are even scheduled at the sametime as a “team snack.” 82 Players may feel as though theyare being forced to opt out of a team experience, ratherthan voluntarily opting-in to religious worship.At least two universities have taken the step from proselytizingto baptizing. Auburn University’s Chette Williams claimed 10years ago that he had baptized 20 players during his first sixyears as chaplain. 83 Williams has continued to baptize Auburnplayers including Sammie Coates and Trovon Reed in 2013 84and Jeff Whitaker in 2012. 85 Today, the number of Auburnfootball players baptized by Williams could easily exceed 50.Clemson University went so far as turning its football fieldinto a baptismal font. Former Tiger DeAndre Hopkins wasbaptized on the 50-yard line of the Clemson practice field, infootball pads, surrounded by teammates and coaches, by localpastor Perry Noble. 86 Noble also baptized Sammy Watkins at hischurch, NewSpring [sic] Church, the church head coach DaboSwinney attends. 87 Incidentally, Noble believes that “[w]e’vebought into the lie that there’s a line between the secular andthe spiritual. Jesus is Lord of ALL. And that means ALL.” 88Numerous factors contribute to the public appearance thatchaplains are officially part of the team. But the sum totalof these factors shows the problem. Chaplains typically:• Attend every team event, practice, meal, etc.• Have team events organized for their religiousactivities, e.g., bible study or chapel• Lead the team in prayers or religious pep talks• Travel with the team, either on theteam bus or on the team plane• Stay in the team hotel• Patrol the sideline during home, away, and bowl games• Wear team apparel with school or athletic team logos• Adopt a title indicative of university support,such as “Auburn team chaplain” as seenon the Auburn Football website• Appear on the team website as staff• Have special access to the team andcoaches as if they were staff• Invite their friends and family toattend games at team expense• Help with recruiting• Baptize team members in athletic facilitiesusing athletic department gear• Have offices in the stadium or athletic departmentClaiming that chaplains have both secular and religiousduties does not mitigate this official appearance. Clemsondefended paying James Trapp, a chaplain, for “recruitingefforts” saying that “he also has a separate and independentpresence on the Clemson University Campus.” But that doubleduty—one religious and one university—is known only tothe university’s attorneys. To all players and all outwardappearances Clemson football is employing a chaplain.The public university grants the specialprivileges and unrestricted access because heis a Christian clergyman.As another example, at Auburn, one of the two schools that hasrefused to release records to FFRF, chaplain Chette Williamshas an office in the stadium, typically wears AU brandedclothing, organizes religious revivals for the team, is regularlyreferred to by official or official-sounding names, leads theteam in prayer, baptizes players, randomly attends other teampractices and meetings, travels with the team, and muchmore—even though technically the university does not employhim. 89 Technically, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes employshim. But anybody looking at this relationship would think, asour interviewee thought of his team’s chaplain, that Williams10 Pray to Play Freedom From Religion Foundation