Dak Prescott: I won't protest during anthem, not the right time or place to do so
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott has no plans to protest during the national anthem this season – or any season.
While the comments put him in line with Cowboys ownership, who have said this week every player needs to be standing during the anthem, the third year QB said he would feel the same no matter what team he was on.
"I never protest," Prescott said during a Friday afternoon press conference at Cowboys training camp in Oxnard. "I never protest during the anthem, and I don't think that's the time or the venue to do so."
Prescott said he views football as an escape and believes many fans do as well.
“The game of football has always brought me such peace, and I think it does the same for a lot of people -- a lot of people playing the game, a lot of people watching the game, a lot of people who have any impact of the game -- so when you bring such controversy to the stadium, to the field, to the game it takes away. It takes away from that, it takes away from the joy and the love that football brings a lot of people,” Prescott said.
Eagles safety Malcolm Jenkins served as Friday's instigator for this latest chapter in the discussion, when he was asked about the Cowboys' stance on player protests.
"I don’t see Jeffrey [Lurie] as a bully like Jerry Jones is. Lucky for me, I don’t play for the Cowboys, nor would I want to," said Jenkins. "It’s unfortunate that you have owners like him that use his position to intimidate and intentionally thwart even the idea of his players thinking individually or having a voice about issues that affect their communities daily. It’s unfortunate."
Prescott said he has no problem with other players who choose to protest during games. But he said he’d rather do something instead of kneeling.
“It's not about taking a knee. It's not necessarily about standing. We can find a different place to make our country better. And obviously I'm not naive and I'm very aware of the injustice that we have going on, but I'm about the actions that we can do to fix it rather than the silent protest,” Prescott said.