The first player to officially protest the national anthem in the 2016 regular season has provided more clarity to his stance.
Following a meeting with the Denver Chief of Police on Tuesday, Broncos linebacker Brandon Marshall, who took a knee for the playing of "The Star-Spangled Banner" in the season opener, released a statement via Instagram on Wednesday.
On Thursday, Sept. 8, I took a knee for the national anthem to take a stand against social injustice. My intent was not to offend anyone but rather to simply raise awareness and create some dialogue toward affecting positive change in our communities.
In the last week, I’ve had a lot of productive conversations with people I respect, including Chief White of the Denver Police Department. I really appreciate all of them taking the time to listen to me and offer some insight and feedback on ways we can all make a difference.I've also had a lot of time to personally reflect on important issues such as race and gender equality, the treatment of our military veterans, our relationship with law enforcement, educational opportunities for our youth, and many more. I recognize and applaud the significant progress that has been made in these areas made possible only through the hard work of so many dedicated leaders.
But, it's clear there is so more work to be done by all of us. Together, we all need to stand up for change.
This starts with me.
My work with the Rose Andom Center to stop domestic violence is fulfilling and close to my heart. But I need to do more.
I plan to be involved with several other organizations that benefit the Denver community and others through the services, awareness, and funds they provide for these critical social issues. And I will donate $300 for every tackle I make this season to those programs.
You can track these contributions on social media through #TackleChange.
I'm truly grateful for the support I've received from so many people, especially my teammates. I look forward to preparing with them and focusing on an important game Sunday against the Colts.
Marshall was a college teammate of Colin Kaepernick - who is credited with inspiring the protest - at Nevada.
While he was the first to take a knee for the anthem during the regular season, Marshall was joined by several other players through the first week of action in protest of a number of social injustices facing the United States.
