Albright College has made headlines this week for dismissing football player Gyree Durante from the Division III program for kneeling during the national anthem before Saturday’s game against Delaware Valley University.
On Wednesday, Mark Schlabach of ESPN.com passed along a statement from a school spokesperson which read:
“The football team made a team-wide decision to both kneel during the coin toss and stand during the national anthem. This action, which was supported by the coaching staff, was created as an expression of team unity and out of the mutual respect team members have for one another and the value they place on their differences. It was established as a way to find common ground in a world with many differing views.”
Durante served as a backup quarterback at the Reading, Pennsylvania school and has appeared in two of the team’s six games so far this season, completing three of his eight pass attempts for 35 yards and a touchdown.
The sophomore told David Chang and Aaron Baskerville of NBC Philadelphia he was protesting against “social injustices and racism” in the United States.
Durante said “At some point in life, there’s going to be a time when you’ve got to take a stand. For me it just happened to be on Saturday afternoon.”
Durante added: “I was just taught you fight for what you believe in and you don’t bow to anyone. I believe heavily in this. So I decided to fight for it.”
According to NBC Philadelphia Durante said he’s also considering a transfer.
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