Another NFL player said that he was planning to sit during the U.S. National Anthem---to express solidarity with San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick---before he backed down.
“We’ve got an issue in this country in this day and age, and I feel like somebody needs to step up and we all need to step up,” Philadelphia Eagles rookie linebacker Myke Tavarres told ESPN on Monday.
However, in an update on early Monday evening, Tavarres confirmed he’s actually going to stand. “He plans on standing for the National Anthem,” Tavarres’ agent, Corey Williams, said in a statement told ESPN. “Myke does not want to be a distraction to the Philadelphia Eagles organization. Myke’s goal is and will always be to make the Eagles 53-man roster and help the team win a Super Bowl.”
Williams said, “Yes, I did,” when he was asked about changing his stance, ESPN reported.
Before the change of heart, he said, “We’ve got that right,” referring to Kaepernick’s move. “There’s just a lot going on people don’t want to talk about, and I feel like us as athletes, we’re looked at as role models.” He added: “And I feel like with Colin Kaepernick, he’s doing a great job standing up for what he believes in, and most people may not like that, but that’s his opinion, he’s entitled to it, and I respect him for doing it.”
Tavarres, an undrafted rookie who survived several rounds of roster cuts, is trying to earn a roster spot. He’s currently playing on special teams, ESPN reported.
Kaepernick caused a national stir after he refused to stand up for the National Anthem before a Friday preseason game.
He told NFL.com: “I am not going to stand up to show pride in a lag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color.”
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