Cleveland Browns center JC Tretter, acting in his role as the president of the NFLPA, released a public statement on Saturday urging his fellow players to speak out and act against racism.
Tretter was spurned to action by the recent death of George Floyd, an African-American man who was killed by a white policeman in Minneapolis. Floyd’s death and the outrage surrounding it have resulted in fiery riots and protests in several major cities, including a large one in downtown Cleveland on Saturday.
The full statement, via Tretter’s Twitter account:
“At this time every month I release a column around topics related to the NFLPA and its players. However, there are issues at hand that need to be addressed that are bigger than the game of football.
“Like many of you processing the news of George Floyd’s murder, I’ve felt a range of emotions from disbelief to anger. Unfortunately, this is not just about George Floyd’s senseless and avoidable death. The issue of changing systemic racism and individual prejudice in our country is long overdue.
“As a white man, I will never fully understand the daily experiences and fears that people of color in this country live with. Sports have provided me an opportunity to form friendships with people from different backgrounds, races, religions, and beliefs. These friendships have helped broaden and shape my understanding of others’ perspectives and struggles.
