Colin Kaepernick was briefly mentioned during NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell’s Super Bowl LV press conference on Thursday, ahead of the Kansas City Chiefs clash with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Amid the NFL’s heightened awareness of social justice issues, Goodell said he was “thankful” that the former San Francisco 49ers defender raised concerns when he did so 4 years ago.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
“I said very clearly in June that we would have liked to hear from our players before, and many players were coming and bringing these issues to us,” he told reporters via Mercury News. “It didn’t start last summer; it started more than two years ago and we’ve been working with Players Coalition during that time.”
Goodell added, “Colin was one of the people who obviously called attention to this, and for that, he deserves our recognition and appreciation.”
Goodell expressed remorse over the summer for not listening to Kaepernick earlier, when he was kneeling during the national anthem to raise awareness of racial injustice and police brutality.
COLIN KAEPERNICK BILLBOARDS, MURAL FOLLOW IN FRONT OF SUPER BOWL LV
“I wish we had heard, Kaep, what you were kneeling and what you were trying to get attention for,” he told FOX Sports’ Emmanuel I think in August. “We had invited him over and over to have the conversation, to have the dialogue. I wish we had the benefit of that; we never had. We would have benefited from that, for sure ”.
After George Floyd’s death, the NFL and Goodell released a video statement saying “Black Lives Matter”.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPLICATION
Kaepernick may not be making a field appearance at the Super Bowl, but his presence has been felt across the Tampa, Florida area. Ben & Jerry’s put up billboards with the former defender’s face to promote his activism.