Detroit Lions defensive tackle Akeem Spence was one of the many NFL players to take part in a demonstration during the national anthem this past Sunday, two days after President Trump called any protesting NFL player a "son of a b***h."

But on the same Thursday that Trump declared that the league and its players "have to respect our flag and our anthem," Spence shared the effects of his "peaceful protest" alongside his teammates.

Spence took to his Twitter account yesterday and revealed that his dad was denied a contracting job due to his protest during the national anthem Sunday, when he was one of eight Lions players who knelt during the song. 

Wow. That's terrible.

After his Lions lost to the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, Spence spoke with ESPN about why he chose to kneel during the anthem, explaining that he wanted to "stand up for what's right, man."

"No disrespect to the flag, no disrespect to any of the veterans or anything. It was just right is right, wrong is wrong, and what the guy said about us as NFL players, I just feel like that's something that's us, as NFL players, we have to stand up for that's not what we are," Spence told ESPN after the game. "You know what I'm saying. We're human beings. We give back to the community."

He added: "We do great things, and our owners, you know what I'm saying, they do great things. So that's something we don't represent around the NFL. That's something every team should have come out and showed this Sunday, that it's not what that guy said about us."

Is it a safe to assume that the person who denied Spence's father that contracting job is a Trump supporter?

Perhaps Lions coach Jim Caldwell said it best while addressing the media Friday, calling Trump's attack on NFL players "unprecedented," as reported by ESPN.

Unreal times that we're living in.

BET Sports News — Get the latest news and information about African-Americans in sports, including weekly recaps, celebrity news and photos of your favorite Black athletes.