Oct. 9 (UPI) — Alvin Kamara made a statement after the New Orleans Saints’ win against the Washington Redskins, wearing a Colin Kaepernick jersey and a political hat.
The Saints star running back wore the No. 7 San Francisco 49ers shirt and a red hat, which referenced President Donald Trump’s “Make America Great Again” slogan. Kamara’s cap read: “Make Africa Home Again,” with the same red and white color scheme as the apparel worn by Trump’s supporters.
The second-year pro had just 24 yards on six carries and three catches for 15 yards in the victory. His workload was lightened a bit by the return of backfield mate Mark Ingram, who had 16 carries for 53 yards and two scores. Ingram also had two catches for 20 yards in his first game of 2018, following a four-game suspension for violating the NFL’s performance enhancing drug policy.
Kamara donned the apparel while doing a postgame interview with Ingram, but did not answer questions regarding the outfit.
The move came in the same week that Carolina Panthers safety Eric Reid made his return to the NFL. Reid was one of the original protesters, along with Kaepernick, who took a knee during the national anthem before 49ers games to protest racial injustice and police brutality. The Pro Bowl defender started 69 of 70 games to start his career, but could not find a job through the first four weeks of the 2018 season.
Reid took a knee again on Sunday, before the Panthers beat the New York Giants. The star defensive back and Kaepernick previously filed a collusion grievance against the NFL alleging that their inability to secure a contract since becoming a free agent was due to an agreement among team owners and the NFL, which violates the collective bargaining agreement between the league and the NFL Players Association.
Kamara and Ingram were among 10 Saints players who sat on the bench during the national anthem before a game in 2017 against the Panthers. The Saints later released a statement, calling Trump’s remarks on the protests “disappointing and inappropriate relative to our players on this issue.”
The Saints have a bye week in Week 6, before returning to action on Oct. 21 against the Baltimore Ravens.
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