Four Midland boys caused a sensation in Michigan over the weekend when they stopped on the side of the road to honor the national anthem played at a high school football game.
As "The Star-Spangled Banner" began, a handful of students rushed to the field to make the game, but four Bullock Creek High School students stopped in their tracks and took their hats off to salute the flag, CBS News reported.
Mike Ullery Jr., who witnessed their patriotism, took a photo and shared it to Facebook.
"I was impressed by these Bullock Creek boys," Ullery said in his post. "Running late to the game they heard the national anthem and stopped, took off their hats and placed hands over heart."
The photo went viral and drew the attention of the four boys and their parents.
"This group is my son and his friends," remarked Facebook user Amy Richards. "While we don't always get to see them in action, we hope they act on the values taught to them. Very proud."
Ullery told CBS News that he had no idea who the four boys were when he took the photo.
"I was just proud of them, so I just snapped a picture and hoped it would get back to them when I posted it on Facebook," he said. "I didn't find out who they were until they commented on my Facebook post."
The act is in contrast to last year, when a spate of high school athletes took a knee during the national anthem to protest racial and social injustice, including members of a girls' soccer team at Traip Academy in Kittery, Maine, Forbes noted.
Kneeling protests began in the NFL in 2016, with former San Francisco 49er Colin Kaepernick sparking intense debate. The world watched in anticipation during this year's NFL season opener, however, nobody took a knee during the game between the Eagles and Atlanta Falcons in Philadelphia.
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