Several Rams players have spoken out this week in wake of the nationwide protests that have taken place following George Floyd’s tragic death while in police custody. Players such as Jared Goff and Cooper Kupp have called for change, while Jalen Ramsey has shared posts on social media urging people to vote this year and thanking those who are supporting this important fight against racism.
Rookie Tremayne Anchrum has also been active on social media, but his strongest statement came in a lengthy interview with Chris Fowler of ESPN. In the 14-minute discussion, Anchrum shared his own experiences with racism, while also appreciating Sean McVay for opening the floor to players during Monday’s team meeting.
“I remember when I first got the Clemson, I had an exchange with a few regular students. I didn’t dress in all Clemson gear, so I kind of looked like a regular student. And they had some choice words for me and I was angry at first,” he said. “But then I understood that they just didn’t know any better. They come from a different area, which you can’t be mad at them. … So just trying to get to a point where we can open a dialogue and stop being angry at our fellow students and really talk to them – is when our relationship started to grow, people came to understandings but still understanding there’s so much more work to do. It’s just part of the process.”
Anchrum understands that people have different views, but he says it comes down to recognizing what is right and wrong.
“We’re getting to ideologies. The ideology is, do you respect the fact that someone with my skin color is a human being? No matter if you agree with me, we may have the same political views, religion, you may not like the way I hold my fork or whatever. But it’s that, do you respect me as a human being? And do you think what’s happening to Walter Scott, Eric Harris – all these guys. Is that right? Do you think that is right? Or do you think that is wrong?”
Anchrum was a seventh-round pick of the Rams in this year’s draft after a successful career with the Clemson Tigers. You can watch his full conversation with Fowler below.