Terrell Owens Says He Would Have Knelt Beside Colin Kaepernick During Anthem
Add Hall of Fame wide receiver Terrell Owens to the list of athletes that support Colin Kaepernick kneeling during the playing of the national anthem to protest police brutality.
Owens offered his thoughts on Kaepernick and President Trump's handling of the issue for a story by SI's Greg Bishop, which ran in the Dec. 3, 2018, issue of the magazine. The former NFL wide receiver told Bishop he would have knelt besides Kaepernick if he were still in the league.
"I'm with Kap," Owens told Bishop. "The President does a real good job of deflecting what the real issues are. You have owners stepping in, basically siding with the President. Some [players] feel betrayed."
President Trump caused a firestorm last year when he suggested that players be fired if they kneeled during the anthem. That led to more than 200 players either kneeling or staying in the locker room to protest his comments.
Kaepernick, 30, filed a grievance in October 2017 against NFL owners for collusion, claiming they schemed to keep him off the football field because of his protests, not his football ability. He has not played since the 2016 season after protesting the national anthem by taking a knee during the anthem throughout that season, citing racial inequality and police brutality.
Kaepernick’s grievance against the league will reportedly be held in Philadelphia, possibly as early as next year.
