San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick started a trend of kneeling during the national anthem that eventually included many high profile NFL players. Now, big name players who once knelt are beginning to stand up.
Denver Broncos linebacker Brandon Marshall took a knee during the national anthem before all of the Denver Broncos’ first eight games this year. On Sunday night, Marshall stood during the national anthem before the Broncos’ game in Oakland.
Before the national anthem even took place, Marshall posted on Instagram that starting this week, he would stand for every national anthem for the remainder of the season.
As Marshall mentioned on the post, part of the reason why he stood was to respect the family of O’Shaine Evans, an Oakland man shot and killed by San Francisco Police back in 2014. At the time, reports stated Evans pointed an unloaded gun at police outside AT&T Park before he was shot. All of this leads back to the point Marshall made that he wasn’t only standing for Evans, but also because he believes change has been made. However, Marshall did try and help create a better world while he was kneeling. For every tackle he made, Marshall donated money to organizations that work with youth.
[ESPN]