Gravity of white NFL players speaking up?
These public acknowledgements represent a benchmark in the league’s 101-year history. For too long, most white men in the NFL showed little public interest in joining a fight that, perhaps, they didn’t see as theirs. Some expressed support in private, but remained silent beyond their locker-room doors.
And while it’s impossible to say what impact their words will have, there is no minimizing the significance of having both white owners with access to financial and political power and a group of prominent, influential white players — at the most visible position in the game, no less: quarterback — shine a spotlight on the root cause of these injustices. While none of the above statements directly called out police brutality by name, every dispatch represented a big-picture step in the right direction. If nothing else, it shows non-blacks it’s OK to step out of their comfort zone and openly acknowledge racism isn’t a black problem; it’s a human problem that needs to be addressed.
Floyd, who was on his stomach with his hands cuffed behind his back, stopped breathing and died after an officer kneeled on the back of his neck for nearly nine minutes. Texans defensive end J.J. Watt, who is not known for wading into controversial waters, was among the first white players to speak out, calling video of the killing “disgusting.” Tom Brady — arguably the greatest quarterback in league history, but someone known for routinely avoiding social issues — broke from his controlled image last month and included his name on a letter to the Department of Justice requesting a federal investigation into the death of Ahmaud Arbery, an unarmed, young black man who was shot and killed by a white citizen in February. (Graphic video of Arbery’s final moments emerged in May, bringing national attention to the story.)
The willingness of Watt and Brady — along with other non-blacks — to publicly join the fight makes this a sea-change moment. History has taught us that meaningful legislative and social change come from blacks and whites working together. While it’s considered a given that blacks would highlight the killings, having white franchise QBs lend their voice could help empower others to step outside their comfort zone and speak up.
“People have been asking: Where are the white athletes? Where are the white voices?” Chris Long, a retired defensive lineman who was among the few white players who spoke out in 2016, told me on Sunday afternoon. “We can’t ignore the franchise-quarterback thing because they’re the center of attention. That’s the guy who sticks around if he’s any good and outlasts coaches and front-office people. People build fan bases around quarterbacks, so the quarterback element is really important. I wish it didn’t come four years late, but we’re getting somewhere, as far as people using their voices.
“You’ve got a kid in South Carolina who’s the best college football player in the country, Trevor Lawrence of Clemson, who is going to be drafted 1 or 2 next year, and he’s taken it upon himself to speak out. … You’ve got Joe Burrow, and you see him speak out before he takes his first (NFL) snap. That’s going to open some doors. So if you project forward, where we were four years ago and where we are now — as far as people lending their voices — what’s that mean for four years from now?”
That’s a great launching point for Judy Battista, Jeffri Chadiha, Michael Silver and myself to dive in. We discuss: What’s the significance of prominent white players speaking out on police brutality against people of color?
