Dolphins owner Ross gave OK for players to take a knee, says Thomas

When Miami Dolphins safety Michael Thomas took a knee during the American national anthem to protest social injustices last season, he had no fear his boss would be upset.

At a town hall meeting Monday, Thomas told listeners that Dolphins owner Stephen Ross gave him and his teammates full support to express themselves after Colin Kaepernick began kneeling in the preseason.

Related: Several Dolphins kneel for national anthem, Seahawks link arms

"I've got y'all's back - 100 percent," Thomas said Ross told Dolphins players, according to Hal Habib of the Palm Beach Post.

Ross had said before that he supports his players expressing themselves, but unlike some other owners, the Dolphins head man had no problem with kneeling through the anthem.

Thomas said he was hesitant to make a protest as the first week of the season landed on Sept. 11. The safety didn't want his message to be misconstrued, but after speaking with Ross, he had confidence that his actions wouldn't be taken the wrong way in house.

"I saw Mr. Ross come in the locker room. I'm going up to him, trying to explain to him in a way, letting him know, like, 'Look, we're thinking about doing this, thinking about taking a knee,'" Thomas recounted. "And for him to stop me and say, 'Look, Mike, whatever y'all choose to do today, I've got y'all’s back 100 percent.'

"That's a testament to what type of person he is, how he truly feels about equality for all, and the efforts he’s made with the RISE program. It's great to have the owner of the Dolphins have that perspective ... It'd be great to see more owners take after him."

The RISE program (the Ross Initiative in Sports for Equality) is a charity organized by Ross, founded with the goal of improving race relations and driving social progress through sport.