Eagles LB Myke Tavarres Changes Mind, Will Stand During National Anthem
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- That was quick.
On the same day Eagles rookie linebacker Myke Tavarres told ESPN.com he was going to sit during the National Anthem before Thursday's Eagles-Jets game, Tavarres changed his mind and release this statement apologizing through his agent.
"I want to apologize for the distraction I've become to all of Eagle Nation," Tavarres said in the statement. "I feel passionate about racial issues going on in our country and I thought that sitting during the National Anthem would bring more awareness to this issue and encourage more constructive discussion to find solutions, but I feel I only made things worse. I want to make change in this world, but sitting down during the national anthem just isn't the best way to do it. With that being said, I do plan on finding a better way. I'm young and I still have a lot to learn about saying and doing the right thing. For now, I will stay focused on football; but I will definitely look for opportunities to do what I can to prevent injustices. I am so blessed to be an American and I just feel a responsibility to do what I can to make things better."
The decision stems from 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick deciding to sit during the National Anthem on Friday night, creating a national controversy.
"We've got an issue in this country in this day and age, and I feel like somebody needs to step up and we all need to step up," Tavarres said via ESPN.com on Monday. "We've got that right. There's just a lot going on that people don't want to talk about, and I feel like us as athletes, we're looked at as role models. And I feel like with Colin Kaepernick, he's doing a great job for standing up in what he believes in, and most people may not like that, but that's his opinion, he's entitled to it, and I respect him for doing it."
Tavarres, 23, is an undrafted free agent who spent the final season of his collegiate career at the University of the Incarnate Word (San Antonio, TX). He is fighting for a roster spot on the Eagles.
