Jurrell Casey wants to put emphasis back on the reasons for players’ protests during the national anthem rather than the angst over the kneeling and fist raising. That was the Titans defensive lineman’s intent last week when Casey said he was prepared to “take my fine” after the NFL announced its national anthem policy, which now is on hold.
“At the end of the day, everybody is going to have their opinions about it,” Casey said, via Terry McCormick of titaninsider.com. “I’m just here to try to continue to open people’s eyes and switch their mindsets. It doesn’t bother me that you don’t agree. Not everybody is going to agree with everything. But at the end of the day, I think everybody around here should want equal respect for everybody. That should just be human nature, but not everybody is going to want that. But I’m going to continue to fight and try to change people’s mindsets about how they see the movement.
“Get the anthem and protests out of your mind. That’s not what this is about. We don’t have nothing against the NFL and don’t have nothing against the United States as a whole. The biggest thing that we right have now is the way the justice system is set up for minorities. That’s what the whole battle is, trying to bring light and enlighten what is going on in the minority community.”
Casey, along with some other teammates, raised a fist at the conclusion of the national anthem before each game last season, seeking to raise awareness about social injustice. None of the Titans took a knee during the anthem, though receiver Rishard Matthews stayed in the locker room during the anthem for some games last season.