Cowboys defensive end Damontre Moore said he has raised a fist at the end of the national anthem since Week 3 when he returned from his suspension. No one noticed until Sunday.
“It’s just something that I do,” Moore said. “I’ve got my morals. I’ve got my values and my things that I think about. I don’t want to cause no attention to nobody else and bring unwanted attention, but on the same token, you know, there’s certain things that people are doing it for. So, for me, it’s just one of those personal things that I do.”
Defensive lineman David Irving, who returned from a four-game suspension Sunday, joined Moore in raising a fist.
Moore said he didn’t feel he was disrespecting the flag.
“I don’t feel like it is,” Moore said. “I’ve got a lot of family members that are in the military. My brother just got done serving a tour. He was over there, stationed in Germany, both my granddads, my granddad and my stepdad, was heavily involved in the military. I’ve got other family members who are. So, for me, I don’t feel like it’s disrespecting it. Everybody is entitled to their opinion. Who is to say I’m right? Who is to say they’re wrong? Who’s to say that they’re right? Who’s to say that I’m wrong? At the end of the day, you do whatever you do, but I know I am going to stand up and not disrespect the flag like that. I don’t do anything to cause unwanted attention during that process, so whatever I do afterwards, I don’t feel like it should matter honestly.”
Owner Jerry Jones said in his postgame comments he was unaware two players raised a fist after the national anthem. That came after he admitted for the first time publicly that Cowboys players are required to stand for the national anthem.
