Emmitt Smith said he would’ve kneeled for the anthem during playing days

Emmitt Smith is supporting players who kneel for the anthem.

The movement started by Colin Kaepernick in 2016 has become stronger than ever in 2020, as taking a knee during the national anthem is becoming one of the most popular ways for NFL players to protest police brutality and racial inequality. Some former players might not be supporting the players for taking a stand, but former Dallas Cowboys running back Emmitt Smith claimed that he would’ve done the same thing if he was on the sidelines on Sunday.

Smith told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that if a movement similar to what we are seeing unfold in 2020 was taking place in the 1990s, he would’ve kneeled during the national anthem to bring attention to these issues.

Emmitt Smith says he has experienced racial injustice

“If I can defend the star, I can take a stand for social justice,” Smith said. “I have been a victim of it. It’s not like I am talking because something happened to George Floyd. Something happened to me more than one time, a couple of times it happened right here in Dallas.”

Smith, who was always a touch on the outspoken side during his record-breaking, Hall of Fame career with the Cowboys, knows that his elevated status, both financially and socially, doesn’t mean that he is excluded from many of the issues plaguing the country right now, and he would’ve used his platform as the main offensive threat on a loaded Cowboys dynasty to hammer that point home, especially after his personal experiences.

Some Cowboys fans might be either too stubborn or to unwilling to hear players out and listen to why they are so passionate about social justice, but there is a small chance that one of the best players in franchise history coming out in favor of those boldly choosing to protest and make their feelings known could change hearts and minds gradually.