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Fedora On The National Anthem & How He'd Handle It

UNC's coach doesn't have to worry about his team during the national anthem, but what if he did, how would he handle it?
UNC's coach doesn't have to worry about his team during the national anthem, but what if he did, how would he handle it? (Bruce Young, THI)

CHAPEL HILL – UNC football coach Larry Fedora was asked Monday if he’s discussed with his team the national anthem issue facing the NFL right now. He said he’d just spoken to some of his staff before the press conference and will address with his team in some capacity.

Fedora noted he wasn’t entirely sure of everything that happened Sunday because he hasn’t watched any NFL because the staff is loaded down on Mondays putting the previous game to bed and prepping for the next one.

College teams are not on the field during the national anthem, so it doesn’t really affect the Tar Heels, and no Tar Heels will be seen kneeling before games. That said, Fedora is considering discussing it with the players.

“I may address it with the team,” he said. “What I would do is address it with the seniors or the older guys first and talk with them and see what they’re thoughts are and talk about it as a team.”

If the team was on the field for the anthem, would Fedora be fine with some kneeling, or doe sit matter to him what they do?

“Here’s what I would say, (and) all I can do is give you my opinion on what I would do,” he said. “What I would do is stand there proud. I think we have a great country, I think we’ve got a lot of problems in this country – I think we’ve had a lot of problems forever in this country.

“Everybody has a right to protest whatever they want, that’s part of what this country’s all about. They can choose to do it whenever they want to do it, and just understand there are consequences to everybody’s actions no matter what they do. Sometimes they’re good, sometimes they’re bad. But we’re not out there so we really don’t have to deal with it.

“It wouldn’t be so much me talking with the team about would we stand would we kneel. It would be more about what are the issues, what are they protesting, why, and how can we become a part of the answer and be a solution to it instead of part of the problem.”


*Here is Fedora's weekly press conference Monday.

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