For the second week in succession Seattle Seahawks defensive end Michael Bennett has sat out the national anthem, although this time he had company.

Bennett started his protest last week, continuing the movement initiated by Colin Kaepernick to bring attention to racial injustice in America. Bennett later said that the protest would be more effective if a white NFL player joined in. On Friday before the Seahawks’ preseason game against the Minnesota Vikings, his hope was partially fulfilled when his white team-mate Justin Britt stood next to him with his arm on Bennett’s shoulder. Afterward the two hugged.

'Man babies with torches': Athletes attack far-right violence in Charlottesville Read more

“I want to support him,” Britt said after the game. “I want to support what he stands for and his beliefs. I’m not foolish. I’m from Missouri. I get that things are different in that area than they are in some other areas. I’m not against what the flag means and veterans. My dad was in the army. So I’m not putting any disrespect to them. I’m just trying to understand the issues, trying to educate myself more in that regard and showing support.

“And I’m going to continue to understand what’s going on in the world and why it’s happening. Because none of it’s right. None of it’s what should be happening. I’m going to continue talking with Mike and exploring and just helping myself understand things. I wanted to take a first step tonight. And that’s what I felt like I did.”

To date, no white NFL players have sat out the anthem entirely, although the US soccer international Megan Rapinoe knelt for the anthem last year.

Bennett said Britt’s actions had affected him. “A very emotional moment to have that kind of solidarity from someone like Justin Britt, who’s a known leader in our locker room, who’s from a different part of America than me,” Bennett said. “But to be able to have that solidarity and to be able to have somebody who is behind me and know that it’s someone that I really trust and to see him put everything on the line to support one of his teammates, I thought that was a very special moment.”

On Thursday, another white NFL player, Chris Long, had adopted a similar tactic to Britt. The Philadelphia Eagles defensive end placed his hand on team-mate Malcolm Jenkins’ shoulder as Jenkins raised his fist during the anthem.

Long considers Charlottesville his hometown and spoke out on the violence there last weekend, calling the far-right protestors who descended on the town “man babies with torches”.

On Thursday, he gave his reasons for supporting Jenkins. “I think it’s a good time for people that look like me to be here for people that are fighting for equality. It’s been a hard week for everybody,” he said. “I think it’s not just a hard week for someone being from Charlottesville. It’s a tough week for America. I’ve heard a lot of people say, ‘You need white athletes to get involved in the anthem protest.’ I’ve said before that I’ll never kneel for an anthem because the flag means something different to everybody in this country, but I support my peers.”

Jenkins said the need for protest was more urgent than ever. “Stepping out in front of all those people and the obvious attention that is going to be brought to it is not an easy thing to do,” Jenkins said after the game. “I think looking at the atmosphere last year compared to this year, so much has transpired, and in a negative direction, that I think the stakes are almost higher now.”