An NFL player who took part in Sunday’s #taketheknee protest says his father was denied a contracting gig because of the player’s participation in the movement.

Detroit Lions defensive tackle Akeem Spence kneeled alongside seven other players on Sunday following some condescending remarks by President Donald Trump. During a rally in Alabama, the president berated athletes who refuse to honor the national anthem.

On Thursday, the Florida native wrote that his father was denied a job because of his participation. Some interpreted the refusal to partake in the anthem as a gross insult to the country.

“Got some awful news from my father a contractor deny [sic] giving him a job on doing a house because of my peaceful protest,” Spence wrote.

There’s been speculation as to whether the players were kneeling in protest of police brutality as the decades-old movement intended or simply aiming to send a message to Trump. Spence, it seems, kneeled to protest against the police killings that target the Black community.

“It’s an issue that we can’t turn a blind eye to,” the 25-year-old told the Detroit Free Press. “It’s something that needs to be talked about and something needs to be done about it. You just take–that was a major step, I’d say when you have your owners, Jerry Jones and those guys coming out and just supporting their team. Now, it’s a light being shined on the injustice and everything going on.”

“It’s about right and wrong, like I always say, ‘And what’s right is right and what’s wrong is wrong,'” he continued. “It’s no offense to nobody, no disrespect; just like I always tell people, love one another and we’ll be alright.” He said his team is trying to decide whether they’ll partake in the movement beyond Sunday’s show of unity.

“It’ll probably be something that continues just cause of what’s going on in our country, the injustice and everything like that,” he said.

Akeem Spence
NFL
NFL protests
Police Brutality
Racism