Pray for Kabeer, Chapter III: The Followers, the Courtroom Drama and the Next Chapter

Along with Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila, at least two other ex-NFL players have joined Straitway, the controversial ministry that many consider to be a cult. In the finale of our Serial Longform series, we trace how they ended up there and the impact on those around them. We also look at KGB’s bizarre courthouse interactions, his fractured relationship with his family and what’s next for the former Packers star.

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Kalyn Kahler
Pray for Kabeer, Chapter II: The Pastor, the ‘Cult’ and Its Troubled Past

Retired Packers star Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila made headlines last winter when two members of his religious ministry were arrested for trespassing, while armed, at a school Christmas program—and that ‘KGB’ sent them. In the second chapter of our Serial Longform series, we take an unprecedented look at the controversial ministry he is now a part of, its history and why so many who were once close to him desperately want him to get out.

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Kalyn Kahler
Pray for Kabeer, Chapter I: The School Play, the Minister of Defense and the Fall of a Hero

Over two decades, Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila, a Black man who was raised Muslim in Los Angeles, found his place in the predominantly white and overwhelmingly Christian suburbs of Wisconsin. In the first installment of our Serial Longform series, we delve into the former Packers star’s theological evolution, his discovery of a new religious movement, his transformation from revered to feared and why he feels he—and his ministry—are misunderstood.

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Kalyn Kahler
Is the NFL Finally Listening?

In the wake of this year's protests, the league says it's ready to embrace the social justice movement, and while coaches and owners are voicing their support, players still feel there's a lot to do.

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Kalyn Kahler
Making the Mostert

49ers breakout back Raheem Mostert only seems like he came from nowhere. The real place—New Smyrna Beach, Fla., some 250 miles up the coast from Miami—has everything to do with why he'll be playing in the Super Bowl on Sunday.

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Kalyn Kahler
The Rise of the Snowplow Sports Parents

In football as in other sports, they’re drawing up business plans, starting marketing agencies, turning up at practice and even monitoring phone use. But by clearing out every obstacle on their kids’ road to stardom, hyperinvolved moms and dads threaten to deprive young athletes of critical life experiences. And they’re driving coaches and agents nuts.

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Kalyn Kahler