Jared Goff is already an unquestioned leader on the field for the Los Angeles Rams, which is a role that comes with being the quarterback of any team in football. But he’s trying to show he’s a leader off the field, too.
The Rams held a team meeting last week after the tragic death of George Floyd, as Sean McVay opened the floor for players to share their feelings, as well as their experiences with racism and social injustice. McVay called it a learning opportunity for him, and an important meeting for the team as a whole.
Goff said this week that it was “one of the most powerful team meetings I’ve ever been a part of,” even though it was held over Zoom videoconference. And now, he fully understands his role as a white quarterback to stand with not only his teammates, but the entire black community in the fight against racism.
“It’s important for white people, and especially white football players – and specifically myself, a white quarterback – to stand up and say something and to take action and to be on the side of the right,” he said on a conference call this week. “It’s a matter of right and wrong at this point. It’s no longer, do you understand, do you not understand? It’s just right and wrong and basic human rights.
“For me personally, I’ve been raised in a right and wrong, and that’s clearly something that’s wrong and needs to change.”
Goff said “it changes things” to hear firsthand stories from teammates, such as Robert Woods’ past encounters with police, which included being pulled over at gunpoint. Woods said he was “a little bit on edge and alert growing up black in L.A.,” which opened Goff’s eyes.
Goff has spoken to current and past teammates, as well as his friends and coaches, about how to take action and help lead the fight for change.
“I’ve got teammates from over the years who I’ve spoken to, friends that I’ve spoken to, you know, what’s the best way to go about this?” he said. “And coaches and various staff members and it’s a very complicated situation but I think there’s a very easy way to look at it: it’s right and wrong and which side do you want to be on? You want to be on the side that’s right, the side that stands with the black community and [against] social injustice.”
As for the Rams and other teams in the NFL, they can’t show any public sign of protest right now, since there are no games taking place. But it’s likely that the Rams and the rest of the league will take part in some sort of protest, whether it’s kneeling or something as a team.
Goff said the Rams haven’t decided what they’ll do, but it’s a conversation they’ll have at some point – and Goff is fully behind whatever the team decides.
“With regards to our team, that is a discussion that we need to have. And whether it is taking a knee, whether it’s doing something in solidarity on the sidelines,” he said. “It’s nothing that we’ve talked about yet but it is a discussion that we will have. I stand by fully behind whatever is decided and I do want to push for change, so I’m fully behind whatever the leaders on the team decide to do and I’ll be a part of that discussion, as well, and we’ll come to a decision collaboratively.”
Richard Sherman has advocated for white quarterbacks to step up and speak out against racism, and Goff agrees with the 49ers cornerback. He thinks it’s important for players like himself to take a stand and push for change – and that’s exactly what he’ll try to do.
“He’s right. It’s important. Of course, the people of color have been fighting for this for so long and wanting change, and as a white person – as a white athlete – again you have an idea it’s happening, but it truly doesn’t hit you the way it does until something like this happens,” Goff said. “I think for us to be able to speak out and make a stand, it can change things and it’s important.
“I want to be a part of that change.”