Malcolm Jenkins On Colin Kaepernick: 'Different Ways To Go About It'
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Many would argue that the most outspoken and respected player on the Philadelphia Eagles is Malcolm Jenkins.
The 28-year-old Pro Bowl and Super Bowl champion safety spoke to reporters about the most polarizing current issue in sports: Colin Kaepernick's decision to refuse to stand for the National Anthem on Friday.
Related: Kaepernick Refuses To Stand For Anthem In Protest
"If you want change and you want things to get better across the country, there's different ways to go about it," Jenkins said via ESPN.com. "What's going to get lost is all the stuff that he was trying to point out. I think everybody is going to talk about how him making the money that he does as an NFL player and basically kind of shaming the flag or whatever, shaming the country, is unpatriotic. You talk about troops and being able to honor that, that's what's going to get talked about. It's not going to be about the lives that have been lost across the country, the injustices that are being done to minorities all across this country, that's what's not going to be in the headlines. It's going to be about him.
"It's a tough situation, but at the same time, if you've got something that you're passionate about and that's your way of expressing it, you've got all the right to do it. I'm a guy of conviction, I speak out on things I see, so I can't really look at what he's doing and tell him he's wrong."
Jenkins admitted he understands where Kaepernick is coming from.
"We're all faced with opportunities," said Jenkins via ESPN.com. "For myself, we stand there and we stand for the national anthem, and sometimes those thoughts go through your mind, like, 'Do I want to actually acknowledge this?' Because you might be upset about what's going on."
This summer, Jenkins -- along with teammates Jordan Matthews, Jason Kelce and Najee Goode -- met with Philadelphia Police Commissioner Richard Ross Jr. to discuss ways to improve the relationship between the local community and the police.
