Tyler Chancellor started his job as a coach at a kickboxing gym in Chattanooga, Tennessee, less than two weeks ago — the culmination of years of hard work.

“I played football my whole life, and I’ve been around a gym setting and training people — that’s what I’ve been doing my whole life,” he told The Intercept.

He worked at 9Round Fitness for a week before he was fired for sitting down during the national anthem at a boxing event a few weeks ago.

9Round didn’t respond to a request for comment from The Intercept, but confirmed to a local reporter that Chancellor was indeed fired for his political gesture.

Chancellor’s termination occurred amid widespread debate over NFL players kneeling during the national anthem, a protest of police brutality started by former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick.

At first, Chancellor said the job was a good fit. “The people were cool, they were fun to be around,” the 24-year-old said. But he soon learned that the owners, Courtney and Phil Grubb, were avid Republicans and that Phil Grubb was a former police officer.

“I never thought anything of them, until one day, we were talking about the NFL, and [Courtney] mentioned her husband didn’t like the NFL because of the protests and what’s going on,” he explained.