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She Reportedly Becomes The First NFL Cheerleader To Take A Knee

Football players are no longer the only athletes you might find kneeling at football games.

On Thursday, a cheerleader led the charge by kneeling at a San Francisco 49ers game against the Raiders, according to the SFGate. Reports later revealed that the woman was identified as Kayla Morris. 

Photos captured Morris hitting one knee during the national anthem at Levi’s Stadium. She has been cheering for the Gold Rush Cheer Squad for two seasons and when she’s not dancing for the team, she works in sales.

 

She is said to be the first NFL cheerleader to kneel in protest during the national anthem. A college dancer from Georgia Tech named Raianna Brown gained attention last year when she knelt during the anthem.

The movement continues to be relevant ever since Colin Kaepernick made the first move back in 2016. Since then, athletes have been following in his path and taking a knee to protest racial injustice and police brutality.

Morris faced some criticism when she was identified Saturday as the kneeler. However, many people also showed support.

“Proud of you!” said Toni Flores, who identified herself as a retired member of the Air Force, on Facebook. “Don’t believe any caption that speaks for the military as a whole, many veterans support your cause and your rights!”

Kayla Rossell, a former teammate, told DailyMail, “I think it’s an extremely brave and courageous thing to do…and I think it’s been met with love and respect from both the Gold Rush director as well as the team itself, just based on my past experiences there.”

It’s not certain whether Morris would face disciplinary actions due to her protest. Neither the 49ers organization nor Morris has made a public statement.

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