. >> former san francisco 49er antwan bouldon say athletes understand hardship. >> a lot of our backgrounds are similar. we don't have a lot growing up. we understand what it's like to go without. a lot of guys in the locker room are willing to help but don't understand how powerful the voice it. >> it's clear their voices are powerful. when quarterback colin kaepernick refused to stand for the national anthem, high school football teams quickly followed suit. >> this is what i think of you -- >> the repercussions were swift, as well. angry fans burned kaepernick's jersey, calling him unpatriotic. and longtime activist and nfl hall of famer jim brown faced backlash from the political left when he agreed to meet with president trump. >> i voted for hillary. and everybody knew that. and she lost. we didn't bring out vote for her to be victorious. donald trump became the president of the united states. that seat is very powerful. i am a person that will reach out to the president of the united states, whoever it is, and try to get them to understand what i believe will make great changes in th