Colin Kaepernick Takes Knee During National Anthem, Alongside Former Green Beret and Ex-Long Snapper Nate Boyer

In the aftermath of the country discovering Colin Kaepernick's silent protest of the national anthem two weeks ago, the most level-headed take came from Nate Boyer, a former Green Beret who had a cup of coffee as a long snapper in the NFL. Writing on open letter to Kaepernick for the Army Times, Boyer explained how emotional it was for him to stand on the sidelines for the anthem in his lone preseason appearance while he was with the Seahawks in 2015:

"The only time I got to stand on the sideline for the anthem was during my one and only NFL preseason game, against the Denver Broncos. As I ran out of the tunnel with the American flag I could feel myself swelling with pride, and as I stood on the sideline with my hand on my heart as the anthem began, that swelling burst into tears. "I thought about how far I'd come and the men I'd fought alongside who didn't make it back. I thought about those overseas who were risking their lives at that very moment. I selfishly thought about what I had sacrificed to get to where I was, and while I knew I had little to no chance of making the Seahawks' roster as a 34-year-old rookie, I was trying."

He went on to say his initial reaction to Kaepernick's protest was anger, and that he probably would have been hurt if he saw a teammate doing the same, but then he did something pretty crazy, something that almost no one else has.

"There are already plenty people fighting fire with fire, and it's just not helping anyone or anything. So I'm just going to keep listening, with an open mind. I look forward to the day you're inspired to once again stand during our national anthem. I'll be standing right there next to you. Keep on trying … De Oppresso Liber."

Kaepernick was not yet inspired to stand during the national anthem on Military Appreciation Night in San Diego Thursday, but he did change his position slightly. Joined by teammate Eric Reid, rather than sit, Kaepernick instead took a knee while the anthem played in front of a giant, field-sized American flag. He was roundly booed by the home crowd when he was introduced, and when the anthem began playing, and basically whenever he touched the ball. But Nate Boyer was standing right there next to him during the anthem, in a Merging Vets and Players shirt.

Thanks for the invite brother… Good talk. Let's just keep moving forward. This is what America should be all about pic.twitter.com/LgjPpjk173
— Nate Boyer (@NateBoyer37) September 2, 2016

According to Jay Glazer, Kaepernick invited Boyer down to talk before the game, and they spoke for about 90 minutes. Both discussed how Kaepernick's message became conflated with the military and how it was not about "dishonoring those who served." Boyer told Glazer that "being able to move forward and understanding what his message is but also understanding what that flag means is important."