The torrent of opinions on Colin Kaepernick’s decision not to stand for the National Anthem as a silent protest to racial injustice in the United States has not yet begun to slow, and Monday we saw NFL players on both sides of the discussion weigh in.

In Miami, Dolphins running back Arian Foster was supportive of Kaepernick, particularly his reasoning behind his protest, though Foster said he wouldn’t have taken the tack Kaepernick has chosen.

Like many African-Americans, Foster can point to at least one incident of racial profiling.

As a teenager, Foster and his father were driving north on Interstate 5 between San Diego and Los Angeles when they were pulled over.

“They told us to get out of the car, all of our clothes got pulled out of the bag and then (police) said, “Y’all have a good day’,” Foster told Miami Herald reporter Adam Beasley. “Never told us why we were pulled over. I know my rights, but there are certain things you’re taught to do as a young man that won’t get you killed. Those are the confrontations that we have with police officers on a regular basis in our communities. And that’s what Colin Kaepernick is trying to portray.”

Foster has never been shy to express his opinions on social media, and spent some time over the weekend engaging followers on his Twitter feed, including disagreeing with his former Houston Texans teammate, T.J. Yates, who was critical of Kaepernick.
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Foster disagrees with Kaepernick’s method, but not his message.

“I don’t necessarily see that [sitting during the Anthem] as a solution to anything. This is me talking. This is Arian talking,” he said. “If that’s what he felt, that’s his form of protest, I support his right to protest. Those are his thoughts, his opinions.

“I understand 100 percent what he’s doing. He’s frustrated, just like me. He’s just like my brother. He’s just like my cousins out there. He’s frustrated. It’s hard to see

On the other side is Pittsburgh Steelers offensive lineman Alejandro Villanueva. Villanueva is a former Army Ranger who served three tours in Afghanistan.

“I agree that America is not perfect, I agree there are a lot of issues with minorities in this country, I agree we should do something about it,” Villanueva said. “But I don’t know if the most effective way is to sit down when the national anthem of the country that is providing you freedom and providing you $60 million a year [Kaepernick’s base salary this year is $11.9 million] is the best way to do it when there are black minorities that are dying in Iraq and Afghanistan and protecting our freedom for less than $20,000 a year.”

Villanueva won the Bronze Star, among other medals, during his four-year stint with the Army; his father was a lieutenant commander in Spain’s navy and also worked for NATO.

“I just know I’m very thankful to be an American. I will stand very proudly and sing every single line of the national anthem every single time I hear it,” Villanueva said. “I will stop whatever I’m doing because I recognize I have to be very thankful to be in this country.

“I tell my teammates all the time, especially when they talk about contracts, I’m one of the cheapest left tackles in the NFL [but] just by being an American I’ve won three lotteries. And if you have a little money on top of me, that means I have 3 1/2 lotteries.”

Villanueva implied that Kaepernick is turning his back on minorities in the military by not “standing up for America.”