Following the outbreak of demonstrations across the nation in protest of racial injustice and the murder of George Floyd, Los Angeles Rams coach Sean McVay held a virtual meeting with his players to discuss their experiences with racism, not NFL football.
More than two dozen people in the 125-person meeting spoke “of sadness and of anger” as the discussion got “raw and real,” The LA Daily News reports. Afterward, McVay called the meeting “really powerful” and “an amazing learning experience,” according to Greg Beacham of the Associated Press.
McVay also said he would support his players if they decide to take part in on-field protests or demonstrations once the NFL season begins.
“I think if would be extremely silly of me, if I’m sitting here saying that I’m going to listen to learn and try to have empathy and understanding, to not allow guys the platform if they feel like it’s the right way to represent the healing and some of those solutions that we’re looking to,” McVay told The Athletic. “I absolutely would be open and wanting to listen, and yes, be open to that.”
In 2014, five Rams players protested the death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, which is close to where the team was based at the time (St. Louis), by walking onto the field with a “Hands up, don’t shoot” gesture.
Sean McVay says he would support his players if they decided to make an on-field public demonstration. Before McVay's time with the team, 5 Rams did just that in St. Louis in 2014 during the Ferguson protests. pic.twitter.com/F0a65xJ2Z5
— Greg Beacham (@gregbeacham) June 2, 2020
In a statement, the Rams said the team is “committed to working with our neighbors to do our part to bring Los Angeles together.”
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) May 31, 2020
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