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'I'm with Kap': Terrell Owens says he'd kneel during anthem

Former wide receiver Terrell Owens said if he were still in the NFL, he would kneel during the anthem. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)
Former wide receiver Terrell Owens said if he were still in the NFL, he would kneel during the anthem. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

Sports Illustrated aptly titled this month’s sit-down with Terrell Owens, the newly inducted Hall of Famer, “Terrell Owens Isn’t Done Talking.” And as is apt to happen with the 2018 inductee, some of his latest talking is about to reverberate around social media.

Owens, 44, told SI’s Greg Bishop that if he were still playing he would have knelt beside Colin Kaepernick during the anthem in protest of racial inequality and police brutality.

“I’m with Kap,” he said. “The President does a real good job of deflecting what the real issues are. You have owners stepping in, basically siding with the President. Some [players] feel betrayed.”

The piece didn’t expound any further on the comments, instead jumping into the former wide receiver’s thoughts on end-zone celebrations and freedom of expression.

President Donald Trump suggested last year that players who took a knee during the anthem should be fired. More than 200 players responded by either doing so or staying in the locker room that week. A rule regarding the issue was enacted in the offseason, then quickly taken back.

The “real issues” since the beginning for Kaepernick and others joining his cause are how African-Americans and other minorities are treated in the United States.

Owens spent the first eight season of his career in San Francisco, from 1996-2003, and retired in 2010. He told Bishop he wished he played today and said he’d be a “trend-setter. One of those guys that fans really adored.”

Kaepernick, the 30-year-old former San Francisco 49ers quarterback, entered the league in 2011 with San Francisco. He first received widespread coverage of his protest in August 2016, his final season in the NFL. His grievance against the NFL owners for collusion will reportedly be heard early next year.

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