Prior to the Kansas City Chiefs’ Monday Night Football game against the Washington Redskins in early October of 2017, Ukeme Eligwe sat on the bench during the national anthem. His then-teammate, Marcus Peters, also remained seated. Justin Houston kneeled near the bench in prayer.
After the game, Eligwe wouldn’t discuss his reasons for sitting, instead prompting fans who were offended to write him a letter.
“I got a lot of letters, I did.” Eligwe told reporters in St. Joseph on Sunday. “Right now I believe I didn’t write anybody back. I didn’t want any conflict.