TAMPA – Olivier Vernon was the only Giants player to kneel down Sunday afternoon during the playing of the national anthem at Raymond James Stadium. Two other…
TAMPA – Olivier Vernon was the only Giants player to kneel down Sunday afternoon during the playing of the national anthem at Raymond James Stadium. Two other Giants, Landon Collins and Damon “Snacks’’ Harrison, stood arm-in-arm and held up their fists. All the other Giants players stood with their arms interlocked.
Last week, Vernon, Harrison and Collins all took a knee during the national anthem in Philadelphia.
John Mara, the Giants’ co-owner, met with several Giants team leaders during the week to discuss the anthem protests. Mara requested that all players stand but said he would support those who did not.
“He basically said he can’t ask us to do anything, really,’’ linebacker Jonathan Casillas, who attended the meeting, said earlier in the week. “He just requests we stand. If he had any request, that would be a request of his. But he also said if anyone here, anyone in the locker room, feels like they want to kneel or feels that they have to kneel, he’ll be supportive of anybody that decides to do that. Honestly, as a player in this league, with everything that’s going on, you can’t really ask for more than that.’’
