Former Texas congressman Beto O'Rourke has invited the Lansing Catholic football players who kneeled during the national anthem at games in 2017 to the latest round of Democratic debates, according to the Associated Press.

Ex-Lansing Catholic football players Michael Lynn III, Matthew Abdullah and RoJe Williams will be in the crowd Tuesday night. Kabbash Richards was also invited, but will not attend because he is away at college.

The players were inspired by former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick's decision to kneel before games.

Richards and Williams, Lynn and Abdullah each took a knee — without incident — next to each other on the goal line during their homecoming game on October 6, 2017. The players were subsequently benched to begin the game.

“I was a senior. I was getting to the age where I wanted to say something,” Lynn told the Associated Press.

In 2017, Lynn said the players were told before the game that they would be benched for planning to take a knee.

“I said this in the meeting (with the school). I said this feels like oppression," he said. "This feels like you’re trying to silence me and it feels like you’re not giving me the right to do what Americans should be able to do."

Shortly after, Lansing Catholic denied they told the players they would be "benched."

Lansing Catholic has since softened their stance. In 2018, they stated players won't be disciplined for kneeling.

However, Lynn and Abdullah ended up transferring away from Lansing Catholic.

O'Rourke is no stranger to the topic of kneeling during the anthem, either. His explanation of why NFL players are kneeling went viral in 2018.

O’Rourke said the four “have served their community in one of the most American ways possible," in a statement to the Associated Press.

Kneeling policy changed:Coach: Lansing Catholic football players who kneel during anthem won't be disciplined

Players transfer:Lansing Catholic football players who knelt during anthem decide to transfer

'Feel like they'd won':Lansing Catholic students benched for kneeling vow to continue fight, affect change