Alex Galland did double duty on Saturday when he played the national anthem before a football game he played in.

Alex Galland must number among the very few to play the national anthem in a school band before a football game only to take part in said game just a few minutes later. A junior at Yale University, he has played trumpet in marching bands since high school, yet this is the first time he has done double duty.

Galland told SportzEdge.com that after performing the anthem, “I handed my trumpet to David Gruskin, who is new to the band. That was actually the first time we met. Then I switched my attention from the trumpet to football”.

“I was wearing my football uniform while playing, and the other members of the band were all for it. I’ve become quite close with a lot of them, so they were pretty pumped that I got to play with them”.

A punter and placekicker for Yale, Galland played a decisive role in their 32-0 win over Holy Cross.

The national anthem at football games has become a controversial topic in the United States recently, with many athletes kneeling during the anthem to condemn police brutality against black citizens. Much of the American right wing press and President Trump himself have criticised these protests, labelling them ‘un-American’ and ‘disrespectful’. Many of Galland’s teammates also knelt during the anthem. Following the game, Galland made it clear that he supported his teammates’ actions and that the point of any protest is “to get people talking. As long as they [protest] respectfully, I’m OK with it”.

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