抖阴ap

Broncos linebacker Brandon Marshall went to sleep Saturday night with his mind made. He had thought and prayed about this decision every night since his former Nevada teammate and fraternity brother, 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s stance first came to light August 26.

He thought about it up until the second Grammy-winning singer Andra Day began singing the National Anthem Thursday night before the Broncos season opener. Marshall wasn’t about to back out. He slowly placed his right knee on the ground and rested his left hand on his risen left leg. He didn’t look around for reaction or wandering eyes. He assumed all the backlash, criticism and hate. He was ready for it all.

“I’m not against the military. I’m not against the police or America. I’m just against social injustice,” Marshall said after the game. “I’m proud of it. I don’t regret it. I know this is right.”

Marshall said he was moved by the wave of police brutality that occurred this summer, including two killings of black men by police officers and a third mass shooting of police officers within a three-day span across the country. He’s following the path of Kaepernick, 49ers safety Eric Reid and Seahawks cornerback Jeremy Lane who have all sat or knelt during the national anthem in the preseason seeking change in what he feels are some of the hidden struggles like racial oppression and police brutality.

“I feel like this is the right platform. I feel like this is our only platform to be heard,” Marshall said. “A lot of time people want us to just shut up and entertain them. Shut up and play football. But we have voices as well. We’re actually educated individuals that went to college. When we have an opinion and speak it, a lot of people bash us.鈥�

Marshall also said he will donate an undisclosed amount to several charities to help veterans and mend many social injustices. He’s already decided Wounded Warriors will be one and he’ll select at least two more with further research.

//player.performgroup.com/eplayer.js#720af97820efc554cb272b0bb8.11hrrvnxxgcho15mv6dsnvd13y

His family and close friends were a huge portion of his decision-making, but in the locker room he only told tight end Virgil Green that he was going to do it. Green told him to be prepared for the potential consequences. Marshall did and said he will “absolutely” continue to do it going forward.

Broncos coach Gary Kubiak didn’t know Marshall was making the stance, but he supported his character to make it.

“Brandon is a great kid. He is a leader of this team,” Kubiak said. “I believe in our players, you guys can talk to me about that. I believe in our guys and I believe in them wholeheartedly.”

Marshall said one teammate he would not name told him “much respect” after the game. Several others shook us hand and gave him a pat on the back. Left tackle Russell Okung, who has also been vocal in the need to , said he “commended him for believing in something and standing for it.”

“I look forward to the efforts afterward to see what he does,” Okung added. “Protest is always the first action. The following incremental steps to see action change, the practical change we can do, is even better.”

Marshall said he believes these protests will create light to issues that he looks forward in being in the forefront to change. He’s now preparing for the fire and outrage that has erupted in his Twitter mentions and text messages from people telling him to “go back to where you came from” to others promising to “never support him again.”

鈥淚鈥檓 going to get a lot of scrutiny and I understand that. In the eyes of a lot of people, I鈥檒l be respected. In the eyes of most people, I鈥檒l be hated,” said Marshall, who is one of the most well liked Broncos players. “I was thinking I could lose endorsements. I could lose likability.聽I could lose my credibility in my community when I want to do things. I could lose that. But I鈥檓 a man of faith and I really prayed about it for a lot of days. I feel good about it. As a man, you can go home and put your head on your pillow and feel good with what you believe and what you stand in, then that抖阴ap OK with me.鈥�

Marshall said he feels like the most misunderstood part of his stance is that people think he’s disrespecting the military. He feels like he’s using its liberties the way they are afforded to us.

“When you look at the American flag 鈥� it represents everything. It represents the military, the government, rights, black-on-black crime. You can鈥檛 just pick and choose,” Marshall said. “I have uncles that are vets. It抖阴ap not easy for vets when they come back from war. It抖阴ap almost like they leave them from dead.鈥�

Marshall stood during every Broncos preseason game because he wasn’t yet sure how his message would be taken. After more praying and thoughts, he found strength and value in Kaepernick’s stance. He said he supported it 100-percent just a day after it happened.

“Colin figured what抖阴ap the best way to get his message across,” Marshall said. “We can talk all we want, but actions speak louder than words. After that, he was able to say everything he felt and everything he meant.鈥�

Kaepernick recently pledged to donate $1 million of his salary and all of the proceedings of his jersey sales to help causes related to racial inequality. The 49ers also pledged $1 million to two Bay Area groups to address social inequities. This is becoming a national conversation and a trend, which was the goal from the beginning.

Marshall isn’t new to this spectrum either. He has long voiced his views against racial oppression, police brutality, domestic violence and more. He believes if he says nothing he’ll contribute to the status quo.

鈥淪ocial media has changed it because all you have to do is tweet something,鈥� Marshall 聽鈥淢uhammad Ali said it all in the cameras. He was a once-in-a-lifetime leader. Everybody isn鈥檛 like that. Everybody doesn鈥檛 have that in them. Do we need somebody like that? Absolutely, I think we do, but it抖阴ap gotta be real. The times are different.”

Instant reaction

It was the first official national anthem of the NFL’s regular season, and Broncos linebacker Brandon Marshall 鈥� 鈥� became the first NFL player to kneel during the national anthem.

The reaction on Twitter was swift.

Oh man. Now we have to talk about Brandon Marshall non-stop on the news for the next week.

— Kyle Clark (@KyleClark)

ICYMI: linebacker Brandon Marshall supports former teammate Colin Kaepernick

— Joe Nguyen (@JoeNguyen)

Broncos coach Gary Kubiak said he won't "babysit guys" about the national anthem, because they are adults:

— Nick Groke (@nickgroke)

https://twitter.com/ShaunKing/status/774047312406470660

https://twitter.com/cheyennelinhunt/status/774048103515103233

https://twitter.com/rthefish/status/774048111794585601

Props to Brandon Marshall. This is a form of patriotism too.

— Rod (@Rodistotle)

@BMarshh54 this diehard big blue fan thinks your courage is outstanding. thank you for standing up (kneeling down). much love from bk!!!

— andrea silverman (@vtandrea)

https://twitter.com/log6R9fhKKttsOx/status/774053813846052865

Broncos' LB Brandon Marshall (@BMarshh54) takes knee during anthem, so Twitter idiots are yelling at Jets' WR Brandon Marshall ().

— Andrew Bucholtz (@AndrewBucholtz)

FACT: 90% of the fan reaction to Brandon Marshall kneeling during the national anthem will be determined by whether he plays well tonight.

— Kyle Clark (@KyleClark)

https://twitter.com/hbryant42/status/774053309552484352