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Jalen Ramsey joined Colin Kaepernick's kneeling protest that began in 2016. Ramsey was one of a few Jacksonville Jaguars players bold enough to take part in a protest that shook the entire sports world.
The star cornerback was asked about rules that were being put in place at the time as a result of the protests. These rules forced players to either stand or stay in the locker room during the anthem. He said via GQ:
"This is what people don't understand. A lot of people might get caught up, like, 'He didn't come out, he doesn't respect America.' High school and college, we never came out for the anthem. We were always inside still getting ready."
"Sometimes after guys will run back in there real quick to grab a couple more things. So now if it's not required that we be out there, guys might stay in there anyway and try to finish whatever they doing. Somebody might have to use the bathroom. Somebody have to finish getting taped. Somebody might have to re-tape. Somebody might have to do something with their helmet, their swag, something.
"And people might take that the wrong way. I think it’s gonna be a fair share of people not going out. I'll probably not go out. I'll probably just stay in and get ready for the game. That's what I've always done, my whole life. I only went out there when I been in the NFL. If I don't have to be out there, I'll probably just mind my own business."
For Ramsey, not being on the field for the anthem isn't about a protest, even though he did protest by kneeling:
"I think the NFL's just missing it right now. They're making it about what it's not really about. It's not about: we don't love America; it’s not about not respecting the flag. That's not what it's about at all."
The protests may have ended, but their impact remains and Jalen Ramsey was a part of that.
Why was Jalen Ramsey traded?
From the Jacksonville Jaguars, Jalen Ramsey made his way to the Los Angeles Rams, the team with which he won the Super Bowl. Now, he's headed back to Florida.
Ramsey joins the Miami Dolphins in pursuit of their own Super Bowl ring in a blockbuster trade.
They sent a third-round pick and backup tight end Hunter Brown to the Rams. LA are in desperate need of picks and assets and to offload veterans with big contracts.
Colin Kaepernick news: What is the former NFL QB up to in 2023?
While other kneeling players remain in the NFL, Colin Kaepernick does not. Instead, he's been a free agent since the end of the 2016-2017 season.
He's now an author, having penned two graphic novels. He also runs a foundation to help people.
