The veteran New Orleans Saints quarterback drew a backlash in early June when an interviewer asked him about Colin Kaepernick taking a knee to protest police brutality, and he responded that he will “never agree with anybody disrespecting the flag of the United States of America.”
His comments came just days after George Floyd, a Black man, died when a white police officer in Minneapolis kneeled on his neck for nearly nine minutes.
“Going back to my comment on June 3rd, to think for a second that New Orleans or the state of Louisiana or the Black community would think that I was not standing with them for social justice, that completely broke my heart.
It was crushing,” Brees said on the conference call Saturday.
“Never ever would I feel that way. Now, I recognise that I missed an opportunity that
day. I had an opportunity to talk about and emphasise the social injustices that exist for our Black community and our need as a country to support them and to advocate for systemic change.
“And my lack of awareness in that moment hurt a lot of people.”
Brees issued an apology after several athletes, including LeBron James and some members of the Saints, criticised his comments.
He said he and his teammates are on the same page heading into the season, both in terms of football and social justice.
The 41-year-old said he will continue to stand for the national anthem but will support others who choose to kneel during the anthem to shine a light on the cause.
“I acknowledge and respect anyone who chooses to kneel or any other form of peaceful protest to bring attention to the social injustices and systemic racism that so many have endured and continue to endure in our country,” Brees said.
Brees has been a respected member of the community since 2006, when he chose to play for the Saints.
He and his wife, Brittany, vowed to help the community rebuild after Hurricane Katrina.
They have participated in a number of philanthropic efforts, most recently increasing his contribution to communities in Louisiana impacted by the coronavirus pandemic from $5 million to $10 million.