The NFL has reversed course on national anthem protests this offseason, publicly encouraging players to use the pre-game tradition as a platform for raising awareness of issues like police brutality and systemic racism.
Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott has never protested during the national anthem and faced questions about it on Wednesday.
“It’s about expressing yourself,” Prescott said, via Jori Epstein of USA Today. “I wouldn’t say it’s going to be about expressing one idea. That’s where we are as a country right now. Individuals have different thoughts, different perceptions and different feelings than their neighbor. So for you to force your opinion and your perceptions on somebody I think isn’t very important right now.
“That’s what this country is about the freedom to do that, the freedom to express yourself. As we heard Mr. Jones talk about grace and sharing grace and having grace with players in what they want to do. If I had it my way, that’s exactly what we’d do: Express ourselves individually but love and support one another collectively.”
The fifth-year signal-caller couched his remarks in between a reference to team owner Jerry Jones’ call for “grace” in approaching the anthem this season.
The Dallas Cowboys have a team policy that is clear — players are required to stand for the national anthem, but that wasn’t the reason that Dak Prescott said he would stand back in 2018.
“It has no affect to me because I do exactly what I’m doing and what I’ve said and what I stand by,” Prescott said about the team’s policy. “Whether I was wearing the star or not, whether I was playing for Jerry Jones, Stephen Jones or any other owner. I believe in what I believe in, and that’s that.
Click on ‘Follow Us’ and get notified of the most viral NFL stories via Google! Follow Us
“I’d never protest during the anthem, and I don’t think that’s the time or the venue to do so,” Prescott told the media. “The game of football has always brought me such a peace, and I think it does the same for a lot of people – a lot of people playing the game, a lot of people watching the game, a lot of people that have any impact of the game. So when you bring such a controversy to the stadium, to the field, to the game, it takes away . . . from that. It takes away from the joy and the love that football brings a lot of people. For me, I’m all about making a chance and making a difference. I think this whole kneeling, and all of that, was all about just raising awareness, and the fact that we’re still talking about social injustice years later, I think we’ve gotten to that point. I think we’ve proved it. We know about social injustice. I’m up for taking a next step, whatever that step may be for action and not just kneeling.
“I’ve always believed in standing up for what I believe in, and that’s what I’m going to continue to do.”
“I respect what all those guys believe in,” Prescott said. “If they believe it’s going to make a change, and it’s making a difference, then power to them. But for me, I think it’s about (taking) action. It’s not about taking a knee. It’s not necessarily about standing. We can find a different place to make our country better. Obviously as I said, I’m not naïve. I’m very aware of the social injustice we have going on, but I’m about the actions we can do to fix it rather than the silent protest.”
