Advertisement

High school players taking knee for national anthem across country

Colin Kaepernick’s gesture to kneel for the national anthem was repeated by high school players in a number of places before games Friday night.

Kaepernick retweeted a number of posts on Twitter with photos or news stories.

MORE: Mass. HS denies player suspended for kneeling for anthem day after player says he was

MORE: Ala. prep announcer: If you don’t stand for anthem, you should be shot

MORE: HS player protests anthem after hearing teammates use racial slurs

Here is a sampling:

  • At Lincoln Southeast in Nebraska, two players — one white, one African-American took a knee as a silent protest. (see the video above).

RELATED: NJ coach kneels with players, district says it supports players’ choice

  • At Waggener High in Louisville, a player took a knee as his teammates stood alongside him. A number of players had taken a knee as the team line up but eventually rose as the music starting playing. Coach Jordan Johnson said the team will take steps before next week’s game to “to ensure our young men can make a stand for social injustice, while at the same time not showing, what is perceived as, disrespect.” (Click here for more of Waggener’s response.)

  • Many players at Maury High in Norfolk, Va., took a knee behind the end zone when the anthem was played. Others stood at attention as did the coaches. “Our school system has said, we’re of the belief, we let our guys do what they believe in,” Coach Chris Fraser told the Virginian Pilot. “And so we didn’t make an issue of it, and if they believe in a cause, that’s fine. I stand behind what they believe in, but I’m going to do what I believe in.”

  • At Auburn High in Rockford, Ill., a number of players took a knee during the anthem while their teammates stood with their hands over their hearts.

  • Here is another photo at school in Minneapolis.

  • Players at Watkins Hills High in Montgomery, Md., also took a knee during the anthem, according to a photo provided to USA TODAY High School Sports. The team captains decided to kneel and one of them asked coach Mike Brown for permission. “I said, ‘Think about what you’re doing. Understand why you’re doing it,’” Brown, who stood with the coaching staff as the players kneeled, told The Washington Post. The captains intend to take a knee next week as well.
  • Here is an image from Detroit Edison, with a number of players kneeling down:

 

More News