Current and former Bengals players say Mike Brown told them not to kneel during anthem

George Iloka and other former Bengals shed light on the issue

Colin Kaepernick took a knee in 2016 to protest police brutality and racial injustice in America. 

The following September, President Donald Trump called out NFL players that didn't stand for the national anthem. 

The Bengals were one of the many teams that had a decision to make about the anthem. Ultimately, they decided to stand as a team with the arms locked prior to their Week 3 matchup with the Packers. 

Bengals owner Mike Brown had a lot to do with that decision. 

Multiple players that were on that team told WLWT's Elise Jesse that Brown met with the team on the Saturday before the game to express his concerns about the anthem. 

“He just begged, like really begged," one player said. "That was my first time seeing or hearing anything like that — very emotional. That was my only time seeing that it was different. The bottom line is that he was begging us, please do not kneel. He didn't want the backfire that was going to come from it."

Former Bengals safety George Iloka spoke on the record, explaining how hard it was to stand. 

“I always said I was not going to talk about that until I was done playing officially, but I really don’t care,” Iloka said. “A lot of people, myself in particular, wanted to kneel. It was a big issue and that was weighing heavily on my heart, it was weighing heavy on my mind, and obviously it was weighing heavy on a lot of people’s hearts and minds across the NFL, and across the nation particularly with African Americans. It wasn’t just me that felt some kind away about that.”

Brown reportedly spoke to the team briefly on the Saturday before the game. He explained why kneeling during the national anthem was problematic for the organization. 

“It was the first meeting on a Saturday night that Mr. Brown had ever spoken or been a part of,” another player told Jesse. “He pretty much says, ‘I don’t want you guys kneeling.’ He said our fans will crush us.”

The Bengals deny that Brown told the team to stand for the anthem. 

“Mr. Brown met with all players while the team was in Green Bay. A positive and open discussion ensued," a spokesperson told Jesse. "Mr. Brown shared with players his preference, but said he was not directing them what to do.” 

No one knows if the Bengals will kneel during the anthem this season, but this report sheds light on why they stood for the anthem in 2017.