Randy Orton Has Change of Heart in Support of Take a Knee Movement: 'It Took Me a Little While'

WWE superstar Randy Orton is voicing his support for Black Lives Matter amid the nationwide protests that have erupted around the country.

When former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick began kneeling during the national anthem to protest systemic racism and police brutality in 2016, Orton, a multi-time WWE champion, didn't hold back on his criticism.

But four years later — following the May 25 death of George Floyd, a black man who died after a now-former Minneapolis police officer kneeled on his neck for nearly nine minutes — Orton has changed his mind.

"It took me a little time, but what I had to do was realize, Kaepernick, he wasn't s------ on the flag," Orton said in an interview with CBS Sports. "He wasn't disrespecting the people that have given their lives for our freedom. He was taking a stand against police brutality."

"As a white guy, I don't see it. But then I started listening to my black brothers and sisters, especially the ones I've known for years and some for more than a decade," the 40-year-old brawler explained. "I was hearing first-hand accounts of interactions with cops that took advantage of the situation and the power they had because they maybe felt a certain way about the color of someone's skin. That's when the lightbulb went off."

Orton, one of the most popular superstars on WWE's roster, is now hoping to change the minds of others who may not understand the goals of the movement.

After tweeting a hashtag in support of BLM last month, Orton explained his reasoning to a fan who responded with, "all lives matter." The phrase has been used as a demeaning response to social justice activists.

"All lives DO matter, but the point I was trying to make is that I finally realized that until #BlackLivesMatters, they can’t," Orton replied. "Get it?"

The father of two from Tennessee said he wouldn't be "helping anything" by remaining silent at this point in history.

"You need to get out there and get in this conversation," he told CBS Sports. "You need to insert yourself. That is what I was trying to do."

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"What I said on Twitter, I stand behind. If anyone doesn't agree with me, I think they need to do more digging," Orton explained.

"All lives do matter, but like I said on Twitter, until black lives matter, all lives can't matter," he continued. "My only regret is that it took me a little bit and some soul searching to see that."

Former police officer Derek Chauvin is being held on $1.25 million bail after he was charged with third-degree murder, second-degree unintentional murder, and manslaughter resulting from Floyd's death.

The three other officers who were present at the incident — Thomas Lane, 37, Tou Thao, 34, and J. Alexander Kueng, 26 — were charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder and aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter.

To help combat systemic racism, consider learning from or donating to these organizations:

• Campaign Zero (joincampaignzero.org) which works to end police brutality in America through research-proven strategies.

• ColorofChange.org works to make government more responsive to racial disparities.

• National Cares Mentoring Movement (caresmentoring.org) provides social and academic support to help black youth succeed in college and beyond.