THE NFL sent a clear message to United States president Donald Trump on Sunday that they will not be divided and defeated in the face of racism and hate.

Countless players took knelt down in protest during the US national anthem, while entire teams chose to observe the anthem from the locker room or the tunnel. But it was the united message from the players of the league before, during and after games that gave a year-long protest a new lease of life.

This is a protest that started last season, when then-San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick took to his knee during the anthem to highlight racial inequality and discrimination, but has reached new heights thanks to Trump.