Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans knelt during the playing of the national anthem on Sunday before the Bucs took on the Chicago Bears.
Evans had not previously appeared among the NFL players taking part in Colin Kaepernick’s protest.
Unlike the others who labeled their gestures a response to police violence or racism, Evans protests Donald Trump. “I don’t want to, you know, disrespect the veterans or anything,” he explained after the game. “The men and women who serve this country, I’m forever indebted to them. But the things that’s been going on in America lately, I’m not going to stand for that. When Ashton Kutcher comes out and says we’ve been punked, then I’ll stand again. But I won’t stand anymore.
“I said this a long time ago. When [Trump] ran, I thought it was a joke, and the joke continues. I’m not a political person that much, but I got common sense. And I know when something’s not right.”
Evans also said that his protest drew opposition from the crowd. He claimed, “I heard it a little bit and it was from the people that I expected it to be from.”
Who exactly did he expect it from?
Evans made sure to point out that the aim of his protest did not pertain to the military. His method of protest did not pertain to the presidency, either. Since when did “The Star Spangled Banner” replace “Hail to the Chief” as a symbol of the American presidency?
Follow Dylan Gwinn on Twitter: @themightygwinn
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