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Last week the NFL protest reached its peak after President Donald Trump’s comments on players participating in the protest. In fact, the Pittsburgh Steelers, Seattle Seahawks and Tennessee Titans chose not to participate in the National Anthem ceremony and remained in the locker room until the end of the National Anthem.  

President Trump used the terms “son of a bitch” to qualify players “disrespecting the American flag.” However, disrespecting the flag was never the purpose of the original protest. 

The protest started with Collin Kaepernick, quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers under Head Coach Chip Kelly. Kaepernick first sat and then kneeled during the National anthem during the 2016 pre-season. His goal was originally to support the Black Lives Matter movement and to raise awareness on the treatment of minorities in the United States. 

Nowadays, the protest’s main focus has shifted for some players NFL players. Many did not begin protesting during the National Anthem until they heard Trump’s words. The perception of the protest also changed. In fact, some U.S citizens serving in the military got highly offended by the protest, seeing it as disrespectful towards their service. 

When more voices get involved in any protest the original message can become diluted. Steph Curry and Lebron James both stood up against Trump’s statement, and U.S. Women’s soccer player Megan Rapinoe also kneeled during the national anthem to protest gender and racial inequality. 

As the protest keeps evolving, we asked Grand View football players and Assistant Coach Joe Woodley how they feel about the protest and how it affects them personally and as a team. We also asked them if they intend to protest, and if so, what exactly they’d be protesting.