Browns tight end became the first white NFL player to kneel during the national anthem
Joe Robbins/Getty
Included in the group was tight end Seth DeValve who became the first white NFL player to kneel during the anthem.
Across the league, players have been kneeling during the anthem while teammates (sometimes white players in the cases of Derek Carr and Chris Long) rest their hands on their shoulders in a show of solidarity.
After the game, DeValve, whose wife is African-American, according to ESPN, said: "I myself will be raising children that don't look like me, and I want to do my part as well to do everything I can to raise them in a better environment than we have right now. So I wanted to take the opportunity with my teammates during the anthem to pray for our country and also to draw attention to the fact that we have work to do."
DeValve said the move did not come from any disdain for the U.S., the national anthem, or the military, but to highlight social injustice.
"The issue is [the U.S.] doesn't provide equal opportunity to everybody," DeValve said. "I wanted to support my African-American teammates today who wanted to a take a knee. We wanted to draw attention to the fact that there's things in this country that still need to change."
Along with DeValve, the Browns players who took a knee were: wide receivers Kenny Britt and Ricardo Louis, running backs Duke Johnson Jr., Isaiah Crowell, Brandon Wilds, and Terrence Magee, safeties Jabrill Peppers and Calvin Pryor, linebackers Christian Kirksey and Jamie Collins, and cornerback Jamar Taylor.
Browns coach Hue Jackson - who had previously said he hoped Browns players wouldn't protest the national anthem before saying his words were misconstrued - said on Monday: "We respect our players; we respect the flag. Those guys came to me and talked to me about it before they ever made a decision to do it."
The players said they hadn't made a decision on kneeling in the future.
- I spent 2 weeks in India. A highlight was visiting a small mountain town so beautiful it didn't seem real.
- I quit McKinsey after 1.5 years. I was making over $200k but my mental health was shattered.
- Some Tesla factory workers realized they were laid off when security scanned their badges and sent them back on shuttles, sources say
- Top places to visit in Auli in 2024
- Sustainable Transportation Alternatives
- Why are so many elite coaches moving to Western countries?
- Global GDP to face a 19% decline by 2050 due to climate change, study projects
- 5 things to keep in mind before taking a personal loan