who was the first nfl player to protest the national anthem
U.S. national anthem protests (2016–present) The protests began in the National Football League (NFL) after San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick sat and later kneeled during the anthem, as opposed to the tradition of standing, before his team's preseason games of 2016.[4] Throughout the 2016 season, members of various NFL and other sports teams have engaged in similar silent protests. On September 24, 2017, the NFL protests became more widespread when over 200 players sat or kneeled in response to Donald Trump's calling for owners to fire the protesting players.[5]