GRAND BLANC, Mich. (AP) - A Michigan teen was a part of Nike’s latest commercial featuring Colin Kaepernick.
The “Dream Crazy” commercial includes Alicia Woollcott of Grand Blanc, The Flint Journal reported. The 18-year-old was included in the ad because she was a linebacker on the school’s football team last year, and was also crowned homecoming queen.
Woollcott’s appearance in the ad is accompanied by a narration that says “Don’t settle for homecoming queen. Or linebacker. Do both.”
Nike’s decision to hire former NFL quarterback Kaepernick has created a backlash. Many people oppose Kaepernick’s refusal last season to stand during the national anthem before games. Kaepernick took a knee during the anthem to draw attention to his belief that black people are being treated unfairly in the U.S.
Woollcott said she doesn’t know where she stands on the kneeling issue, but she supports the commercial’s message of standing up for what you believe in.
“Stand up for what you believe in, regardless, because you have to put your foot down and stand up regardless of what people say,” she said.
The commercial also includes famous athletes Serena Williams and LeBron James.
Woollcott said the experience has been “unbelievable.”
“I’ve gotten so much positive feedback from everyone around me,” she said. “All my friends and family and basically the whole community has been calling me and texting me, saying how happy they are and how excited they are that I got to be a part of it.”
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