A Colorado credit union has parted ways with Denver Broncos linebacker Brandon Marshall following his actions Thursday. The Broncos are scheduled to host the New England Patriots in the AFC championship game Sunday in Denver.
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Marshall was the most recent athlete to take a knee and as of Friday afternoon he had lost his endorsement deal with Air Academy Federal Credit Union over the protest.
Marshall took a knee during the National Anthem before the NFL’s season opener – joining Colin Kaepernick in a protest that has garnered national attention.
“I’m just against social injustice”, he said.
The Denver Broncos linebacker loses endorsement deal with Air Academy Federal Credit Union (AAFCU) when he kneel during USA national anthem prior to game-winning NFL season opener vs. Carolina Panthers.
In a post-game press conference after the Broncos pulled off a tight 21-20 win over the Carolina Panthers Thursday night, Marshall told reporters why he a took knee – and pledged to donate “an undisclosed amount” of money to US military veterans.
As for why he made the decision to protest, Marshall says he the chance to be seen by millions of viewers was the flawless time to do it. “I’m ready for that”. “I was like, hmm, they’re going to get on me”.
Marshall, a college team-mate of Kaepernick at Nevada, told NFL.com: “The message is I’m against social injustice”.
Marshall became the latest sports figure to make the gesture, following San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick.
The protests are expected to continue this weekend when the bulk of this slate of National Football League games are played on Sunday, 15 years to the day since the 9/11 terrorist attacks. “So I definitely want to stand by him”, Marshall felt that his actions on Thursday night would further the conversation that was started, and hopefully lead to more players speaking out. “I can live with it”, he said, according to The Denver Post. No other players joined in the protest. “The world needs to see people coming together versus being individuals”.
The Seattle Seahawks announced Thursday that the entire team will join Colin Kaepernick’s silent protest against the US national anthem in their home opener Sunday against the Miami Dolphins.
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“Personally, I work in the community a lot back home in Baton Rouge (Louisiana)”.
