Rather, he has questioned whether Kaepernick’s approach has inadvertently suggested a lack of appreciation for service members whose sacrifices have made such protests possible. His teammates might not have been aware that Villanueva would step out of the tunnel into a more visible position near the field. Sign Up You agree to receive occasional updates and special offers for The New York Times's products and services. “We thought we were all in attention with the same agreement, obviously, “ the Steelers’ James Harrison said, according to PennLive. “Because what was I going to do, leave the guy out there?”Even before Villanueva’s harrowing experiences overseas, those who knew him at West Point said it would have been hard for him to miss the national anthem.

Source: New York Times September 25, 2017 14:24 UTC