Way before Tom Brady led the New England Patriots to a dramatic victory in Super Bowl LI on Sunday night in Houston, the quarterback drew plenty of heat for strategically placing a Donald Trump "Make America Great Again" hat in his locker in September 2015.

One college professor believes that Brady prominently displaying the 'MAGA' hat in his locker and his support of Trump is far more damaging than Colin Kaepernick or any other NFL players kneeling during the national anthem this past season.

David Dennis Jr., a Morehouse College professor, believes that Brady's support of Trump is "far more threatening to America" than any star athlete's national anthem protest.

"Brady’s Trump endorsement, however, has been largely ignored when, in fact, supporting Donald Trump as President of the United States is far more threatening to America than taking a knee during the National Anthem," Dennis wrote on Medium late last month. "Colin Kaepernick disrespected the troops? Donald Trump, upon taking office, has already proposed a federal hiring freeze, affecting thousands of jobs at the Department of Veterans Affairs. During his campaign, Trump criticized John McCain for being a POW. And he’s said that suicides happen for members of the military who "can't handle it."

And Dennis was just warming up.

"He’s insulted Muslims, Mexicans, African-Americans, LGBTQ people and pretty much everyone who doesn’t look like a Third Reich recruit," Dennis continued.

He added, "By placing Trump’s hat in front of media members, Brady was endorsing his billionaire buddy and everything his politics entail. And these politics are far more deadly and corrosive to the United States than any policy Kaepernick has publicly supported," he continued. "Donald Trump is objectively and undeniably un-American. So is supporting him."

Dennis also asserted that Brady downplaying his friendship with Trump and questioning why people "make such a big deal" about it is white privilege in its highest form.

"Brady’s obliviousness reeks of white privilege and dismissivess; a #MAGA trait if there ever was one," Dennis expressed. "But what’s most troubling is the way Brady’s Trump endorsement has been treated compared to Kaepernick’s political statements."

Couldn't agree more with this professor.

And while Brady, Patriots owner Bob Kraft and coach Bill Belichick are friends with Trump, Martellus Bennett and Devin McCourty are clearly not.

Following their Super Bowl victory, the Patriots tight end and safety, respectively, stated that they wouldn't visit Trump at the White House whenever the team gets honored by the president. 

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.