Sports

Gold Star NFL Player Says Kaepernick Made The Ultimate Sacrifice

Tennessee Titans v Chicago Bears

(Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

Jena Greene Reporter
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Rishard Matthews, a wide receiver for the Tennessee Titans, plans to honor his “brother” Colin Kaepernick for making the “ultimate sacrifice” this weekend.

In a lengthy Instagram post, Matthews voiced his suport for Kapernick’s Anthem protests and Know Your Rights, an ACLU-backed campaign that advocates against police brutality.

His caption says “I dont have a foundation so i have chosen to support my brother @kaepernick7 foundation @yourrightscamp for #MyCauseMyCleats He has paid the ultimate sacrifice in order to bring true everyday issues to light. Please follow the page & go to the website to learn more. We Should ALL Know Our Rights & Be Able to Express Them Freely. Thanks again @solesbysir you continue to impress.”

The cleats are a part of the My Cleats, My Cause campaign, where NFL players are allowed to honor a charity of their choice for one week during the season.

It’s pretty notable that Matthews calls Kaepernick his brother who made “the ultimate sacrifice.” Rishard Matthews’ biological brother, Christopher Ruiz, was killed in action in Afghanistan in 2015. Soldiers took time to honor Ruiz’s memory before a Titans game this year by presenting Matthews a flag in his brother’s memory.

Yet Matthews continues to protest the flag and has remained in the tunnel when the National Anthem plays before games. He even promised he would quit the NFL if the league made him stand for the song before games.

On the other hand, Rishard Matthews’ teammate Avery Williamson will wear cleats honoring the Wounded Warrior Project. Last season, he was threatened with a fine for wearing cleats that honored the victims of 9/11. The NFL eventually relented.