The Pittsburgh Steelers are going to allow players to determine how best to show their concern for social justice, as long as it is done “properly,” according to the team’s head coach Mike Tomlin, Fox News reported on Wednesday.
Tomlin, who is one of the three active black head coaches in the NFL, stressed that he wants his players to feel comfortable speaking out in any way they see fit, including kneeling, provided it is done “thoughtfully and with class.”
He said that the club’s “position is simple. We are going to support our players and their willingness to partake in this, whether it is statements or actions.”
All-Pro defensive end Cam Heyward said last week that the players on the Steelers would be united in any form of protest they choose to make.
Tomlin has stressed that the Steelers' work when they are not on the field, particularly when the players usually do charity work in the Pittsburgh area on their day off, is proof that those on the team are not just interested in making statements on Sunday afternoons.
“This unrest is an opportunity to learn, to listen and to grow and to make sure you take care of yourself, your own heart and your own home first and work from there," Tomlin said. “That’s something I try to live by and try to encourage our guys to live by."
Brian Freeman ✉
Brian Freeman, a Newsmax writer based in Israel, has more than three decades writing and editing about culture and politics for newspapers, online and television.
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