The University of Tulsa issued a statement after cornerback Keanu Hill knelt during the national anthem Saturday at the Ohio State game. The move comes after San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s similar decision to sit during the national anthem to protest what he sees as the oppression of people of color in the U.S.
Hill, a junior from Carson, California, took a knee at the sidelines of the Buckeyes game. Tulsa officials said his action does not speak for the athletic department.
“Following the Tulsa team prayer at Saturday’s football game in Columbus, student-athlete Keanu Hill continued to kneel as the National Anthem was played. A university setting is a place of free expression and open discussion of differing perspectives and opinions, however the actions of one do not speak for an entire group and – in this instance – not for The University of Tulsa Athletics. The National Anthem and salute to the flag are ways we show thanks for our freedom and respect for the men and women who have served our country.”
