South Jersey Football Team Kneels During National Anthem, Stirs Controversy

The Camden School District is supporting the Camden High School football team’s decision to kneel before the national anthem during Saturday’s season opener against Highland Regional High School, nj.com reports.

Coach Preston Brown told his team of his decision to kneel Friday night, but didn’t ask his players to join him. Most players and coaches did, but some stood.

Brown said he made the decision because of his experiences as an African-American athlete attending college at Tulane University, which is in Louisiana, according to the report.

The district supported Brown’s decision as a personal one, and respected its players’ rights to exercise their First Amendment rights, according to the report.

Brown specifically cited the anthem’s seldom sung third verse, which reads in part "No refuge could save the hireling and slave / From the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave" in an interview with NBC 10.

Brown said he has always stood as a formality, and that he still loves America. He just wants to shed light on racial and social injustices in America.

Two seniors on the Highland football team shared their opinions with philly.com.

Highland senior Joe Tripoli, who is white, told the news outlet the scene “bothered” him, as he has a lot of family in the military.

Highland senior Orlando Council, who is black, also expressed disappointment in the coaches and players at Woodrow Wilson for their decision.

The action was first taken on the national level, by San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who refused to stand for the national anthem during a preseason game in August over racial and social injustice in America.

He was the first to do so, and was heavily criticized for it. Since then, others in the NFL have followed in his footsteps, as did a team of 11 and 12 year old football players in Texas, according to the Daily Caller.

Highland won the game over Woodrow Wilson, 13-7.