Kaepernick Visits Oakland High School, Football Players Lie Down With Hands Up to Protest National Anthem

While Colin Kaepernick took a knee to protest the national anthem, one Oakland high school football team took a different approach.

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On Friday, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick visited the Castlemont High School football team in Oakland, Calif. after their players and coaches protested the national anthem last week. 

During his visit to their locker room prior to the Castlemont's 49-44 victory over King’s Academy, Kaepernick praised the players for their courage while stressing that they need to build each other up. "You are important. You make a difference. This matters. Everything you do matters," Kaepernick said. "Look out for one another. Lift each other up. That’s what this is about."

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When Castlemont took the field for the national anthem, Kaepernick kneeled down, but the players laid with their backs on the ground, and hands in the air. The gesture was eerily similar to the reaction from mental healthcare worker Charles Kinsey prior to getting struck in the leg by a bullet.  

There will certainly be those individuals who have an issue with Kaepernick and/or the actions of the Castlemont High School football team, but will those same people also take note of the motivational and empowering words expressed by the 49ers quarterback during his time in the locker room? 

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