'Some are offended, some aren't': Vet who suggested Kaepernick kneel reacts to Nike deal
EL CERRITO, Calif. (KGO) -- Nate Boyer, a former Green Beret and ex-NFL player, is urging people to not assume that all veterans are upset about Colin Kaepernick being named as the face of their 30th anniversary "Just Do It" ad campaign.
VIDEO: Bay Area Army veteran who encouraged Kaepernick to take a knee addresses new Nike ad
"Some are offended, some aren't. It's really that simple," Boyer tweeted late Tuesday night.
His tweet continued: "To push roughly 20 million veterans onto one side or the other of the Anthem debate (bc you know a Vet who feels a certain way) is just stupid. We're as diverse (and sometimes just as stupid) as any other American microcosm"
TIMELINE: Looking back at Colin Kaepernick's transformation from football star to social justice advocate
The former Seattle Seahawks long snapper penned two open letters to the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback after he started his national anthem protests. In both letters, he defended Kaepernick's right to protest racial inequality during the playing of the anthem.
After the first letter in 2016, Boyer and Kaepernick met in person and that was reportedly the impetus for Kaepernick to change his protest from sitting during the anthem to kneeling, as Boyer said it would be more respectful to the military community.
VIDEO: Kaepernick billboard hangs high above SF's Nike store
In an interview with ESPN back in 2017, Boyer said after he listened to Kaepernick's reasoning for his protest, "not only does he every right to do that, but I respect him. It was incredibly brave what he did."
Boyer grew up in El Cerrito, California and is a life-long fan of the 49ers.
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