Here is what Jim Brown, regarded by many as the greatest running back ever in the NFL had to say:
"I listened to him and he makes all the sense in the world. He's within his rights and he's telling the truth as he sees it," Brown explained. "I am with him 100 percent. ... Now if you ask me 'Would I do that?' No I won't, because I see it a little differently. I'm an American citizen, I pay my taxes, I want my equal rights but this is my country, and consequently I don't want to open up for ISIS or anybody that will take away what we've already gained."
When Brown arrived on the NFL scene in 1957, he fought for equal rights in a league that still limited the number and influence of African-American players.
"We had to fight in a certain kind of way to make it better," Brown said, "so these young people can make the kind of money they're making and the league can be 80 percent African American.
"Young men in my day really stepped up. ... These were champions for freedom, equality and justice for all humans beings, and they were educated individuals that used their education and knowledge to represent their case. So now 50 years later we have a young man saying something that was kind of taken for granted in our day. We were way past that. For me it's like going back in time."