Mike Evans Apologizes for National Anthem Protest of Donald Trump's Election

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans sat during the national anthem before Week 11 against the Chicago Bears as a silent protest against President-elect Donald Trump, and he issued an apology for his actions Tuesday.

In a statement sent to ESPN's Josina Anderson on Tuesday, Evans apologized to the United States military and said he will stand for "The Star-Spangled Banner" from now on:

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I want to start by apologizing to all the U.S. military members, their families, and the fans who I offended by my actions on Sunday. It was never my intention as I have tremendous respect for the men and women who serve our country.

I have very strong emotions regarding some of the many issues that exist in our society today. I chose to sit as an expression of my frustration towards this year’s election. It was very personal for me, as it was for so many Americans.

With that being said, I will not sit again during the National Anthem because I want to focus my efforts on finding more effective ways to communicate my message and bring about change by supporting organizations and movements that fight for equal rights for minorities.

This Sunday, I will be back to standing with my teammates.

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"If I had to do it over again, I would have done it differently, but I would still use my platform to help," Evans said Wednesday, per Jenna Laine of ESPN.com. "It was the Salute to Service game. Looking back on it, I probably would have done it a different way."

Following the Bucs' 36-10 win over the Bears, Evans told reporters that while he meant no offense to the military, he couldn't bring himself to stand for the national anthem after Trump was elected president.

"The things that's been going on in America lately, I'm not going to stand for that," he said, per JoeBucsFan.com. "When Ashton Kutcher comes out and says we've been punked, then I'll stand again. But I won't stand anymore."

On Monday, Buccaneers head coach Dirk Koetter said he was "disappointed" with Evans' protest, according to USA Today's Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz. However, Koetter added he respects Evans' right to peacefully protest.

The Buccaneers expressed a similar sentiment in a statement, which encouraged players to stand for the anthem while recognizing their constitutional freedom of speech and freedom of expression rights.