All across the NFL on Sunday, players protested the national anthem, with demonstrations ranging from taking a knee to linking arms with teammates to skipping the anthem altogether.

As the nation’s continued political turmoil spills over into the sports world, no longer can players and coaches turn a blind eye to what’s happening.

On Monday, Alabama coach Nick Saban weighed in on the ongoing demonstrations, saying he’d prefer to stick to football, but adding that he believes in the right every U.S. citizen has to express themselves:

Clearly, Saban figured he was going to be asked about the protests, and took some time to give a thoughtful answer.

It’s important that he didn’t just brush the question aside and instead responded the way he did.

The protests likely aren’t going away any time soon, though, so it probably won’t be the last time the Alabama coach is asked a question like this.