San Francisco 49ers

Michael Crabtree won't be joining Kaepernick's protests: 'I ain't no Martin Luther King'

Published Nov. 15, 2016 2:08 p.m. ET

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Dan Graf

The national anthem protest movement that San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick started in the NFL preseason has spread to many other players and teams, but one of Kaepernick’s former teammates would prefer to concentrate on football.

Oakland Raiders receiver Michael Crabtree, who caught passes from Kaepernick from 2011-14, was asked about the protests after two Raiders and a handful of Tennessee Titans raised their fists during the anthem prior to Sunday’s game.

“I just play football,” Crabtree said, via the San Francisco Chronicle. “I ain’t no Martin Luther King.”

He then deflected a question about the transformation of Kaepernick into an agent for change in the area of racial injustice.

“I’ve let it be known I don’t have anything to do with him,” Crabtree said. “I’m a Raider.”

Almost everyone has had an opinion on Kaepernick’s stance, but it sounds like Crabtree would prefer to steer clear of any potential controversy.

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