PHILADELPHIA --One of the many differences between the NFL and the forthcoming reboot of Vince McMahon and the WWE's XFL besides the quality of football is the upstart league requiring players to stand during the National Anthem prior to games.

While the NBA's policy bans any sort of demonstration during the Star Spangled Banner, the NFL drew outrage from some fans over the past two years when players used the anthem as an opportunity to protest criminal justice reform and demonstrate against police brutality by kneeling or raising fists during the anthem.

Those demonstrations won't happen in the XFL.

Eagles wide receiver Torrey Smith has repeatedly tried to clarify why he raised his fist during the anthem this season, and says he respects the XFL's policy but hopes that fans will finally see the purpose of what players were trying to accomplish with their demonstrations in the NFL the past two years.

"That's their league's rule," Smith told NJ Advance Media on Friday. "If they're going with that mentality to try and protect themselves from what the NFL had to deal with, I guess that's their prerogative.

"No one is protesting the national anthem. It's not a 'National Anthem protest.' It's a protest that happens to happen during the National Anthem, against systematic oppression and a bunch of different things that we're dealing with out here. I wish people would understand that, and then maybe people wouldn't be so offended by it."

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Eagles safety Malcolm Jenkins has been one of the more outspoken players both through protesting during the anthem as well as taking an audience with lawmakers on Capitol Hill and helping to sponsor Pennsylvania legislation seeking criminal justice reform.

He also raised his fist aloft during the anthem from Week 2 of the 2016 regular season through Week 13 of this season.

Jenkins says he hopes that the XFL will still allow its players to use their platform to better their communities and promote social causes.

"It's exactly what the NBA has in place," Jenkins told NJ Advance Media. "I hope that in light of that, they still would be open as a corporation and business to allow their players to get active in their communities, and have an impact in whatever way they see fit."

Matt Lombardo may be reached at MLombardo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MattLombardoPHL.