Lyle Thompson has felt the sting of judgment his entire life.

"Throughout elementary school I got in fights over my hair," said Thompson. "I’ve heard comments about my hair, I would get into fights got suspended. I got penalties in lacrosse games."

Thompson grew up on the Onondaga Nation playing lacrosse with his family, a sport with deep roots for Native Americans.

Today, he's a star player for the Georgia Swarm and still hearing about his hair.

During a game over the weekend, the public address announcer said "Let’s snip that ponytail."

"Obviously there's wrong in what he said I'm not the punisher,” Thompson said. “I think there's a bigger issue here to handle and I want to be a part of that.”

Later, during the same game, an aggressive fan threatened to scalp Lyle.

"I'm a forgiving person. I'm not mad at the guy,” Thompson said. “I can understand the mistake here, and it’s not uncommon because there are so many people in this world that don't know that Native Americans exist." 

When Thompson tweeted about the situation, he saw widespread support. He hopes this situation encourages people to learn more about Native American culture. 

While it may have been the subject of controversy, it's a symbol Thompson will continue to wear - proudly.