The Seahawks got a road win this past Sunday after beating the 49ers in Santa Clara, Calif. by a 24-13 margin, but what happened after the game caught more eyes than the main event.
Michael Bennett receives gift from Vietnam veteran after Seahawks’ game vs. 49ers
Bennett received an Army unit coin after their 24-13 win.
Michael Bennett received a gift from a Vietnam veteran after the game — a unit coin.
“He lost half his battalion,” Bennett said of the veteran, via ESPN. “He was telling me about the POWs and the people missing in action. He gave that to me, says he loves everything I stand for. That’s just an honor to be able to get something like that. That’s a big deal.”
Bennett sat for the national anthem prior to the game, after standing for the past two to honor the military in the NFL’s “Salute to Service” month, where each team selects one home game to honor the military.
Bennett added that he feels it’s important to support members of the military who are suffering from PTSD.
“To be able to shine a light on some of the issues that are going on within the military or from after [war] is something I think as Americans we should definitely bring up,” he said. “As much as we love everything they do, we should love everything that they’re going through too. So just to be able to support them. It was an honor for me to get that [coin].”
He’ll continue to show support for the military during the NFL’s My Cause, My Cleats week this upcoming Sunday:
Bennett has been sitting for the national anthem this season to protest racial inequality and its consequences in society.
“I hope that I can activate everybody to get off their hands and feet and go out into the communities and push helping each other,” Bennett said, via NFL Network’s Steve Wyche in August. “Sit down with somebody that’s the opposite sex, sit down with somebody that’s the opposite race, different religion and understand that people are different and go out and join the community and try to change the society, change what you’re a part of. If you don’t like it, keep changing it.”
In addition to his protest, Bennett pledged to donate his endorsement money for 2017 to charities that benefit minorities.
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