It has been over a year since former San Francisco 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick began protesting police brutality and racial injustice during the national anthem.

And in that time, Kap and the countless number of other players that have joined the #Taketheknee movement has drawn the ire of the Right for supposedly disrespecting the flag and veterans. The backlash came to a boiling point when President Donald Trump called athletes "sons of b**ches" while encouraging owners to fire players who protested during the anthem. 

In a recent interview with Sports Illustrated, Nate Boyer, former Green Beret and walk-on long snapper with the Texas Longhorns, discussed his stance on the issue while demanding that Kap do more than he has already done. Boyer was instrumental in the early days of the protests convincing Kap to take a knee instead of sitting on the bench during the anthem. It was a compromise that he hoped would signify that Kap's movement was not aimed at disrespecting the military community. 

Now, Boyer's stance has changed from compromise to demanding that Kap reach out to Trump. During the sit down with SI, Boyer pointed out that Kap's original message has been lost among the noise. He blames the media for hyping up the dissension between Trump and the players and owners like Houston Texans' owner Bob McNair. 

"When the president says something that you disagree with, protesting the anthem is not the way to combat that, in my opinion," Boyer said while stating he dislike the protests despite knowing the protests are not about the military. 

Boyer has made it clear in his letters that he wants protesters to do more than just raise awareness about issues. And Kap has done just that. The former QB has donated $1 million dollars to various charities and organizations in the past year.

"It’s going to make a difference in some people’s lives, but is that the best that you can do? He can do a lot more," he said. 

Throughout the interview, Boyer mentions Trump but does not discuss how he felt about the comments the president made toward the players. 

"President Trump and Colin Kaepernick, if they sat down in a room and have a civil conversation, it’d be a very different one from what we’re seeing on social media and in the mainstream media, " Boyer suggested. "It’d be something that, I think, would calm down a lot of people in the country, if they were willing to sit down and have a grownup conversation."

Read the rest of the interview on Sports Illustrated.