Notre Dame Football: Former Irish lineman vows to stand for Anthem

The Notre Dame football program is a molder of well-rounded individuals and former Irish defensive lineman Stephon Tuitt is taking a strong stance ahead of the 2020 NFL season.

Fans of Notre Dame football often boast about how the players that leave the program and the university are more than just football players. After all, a degree from the University of Notre Dame coupled with the talent and the hard work of performing at the highest level of college athletics is nothing to frown upon. Those who leave the program at Notre Dame are intelligent, courageous, free-thinkers.

The same could be said about former Irish defensive lineman, Stephon Tuitt.

Amid the social and political unrest in the country, protests have been prevalent across the United States. Many college and professional athletes have been thrust into the spotlight and are using their platforms to take a stance or voice their opinions. Tuitt is no different, but has chosen perhaps an unpopular path.

Now a defensive lineman for the NFL’s Pittsburgh Steelers, Tuitt has vowed that he will stand during the National Anthem if and when the NFL plays a season this year. When asked about his stance on standing for the National Anthem, Tuitt had strong words, citing his grandmother who immigrated to the United States from the Caribbean and followed her own version of the American dream and made a life for herself.

Wherever you happen to stand on these political issues and the way professional athletes choose to use their platforms to express themselves, it should make you feel good that a former Irish alumnus is choosing to use his platform to take a stance, especially one that might be unpopular. In this day and age, it takes great courage for Tuitt to respond the way he did.

If there’s anything Notre Dame football fans can hang their collective hats on, it’s former Irish players doing their Alma Mater proud. Tuitt should be commended for taking his stance.