Getty Brandon Bostick #86 of the Green Bay Packers leaps into the crowd after scoring a touchdown against the Chicago Bears in the first quarter at Lambeau Field on November 9, 2014 in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
Years after Brandon Bostick’s costly mistake cost the Green Bay Packers a trip to the Super Bowl, the former NFL tight end still hasn’t forgotten the hateful, racist messages he received in the aftermath of his career-low moment.
Bostick shared “just a few” screenshots of the nasty messages sent to him following the Packers’ loss to the Seattle Seahawks in the 2015 NFC championship game, in which he botched an onside kick recovery late in the fourth quarter that allowed Seattle to mount a comeback.
Warning: The messages shared in Bostick’s tweet contain NSFW language.
Just A Few Photos I Found In My Phone From 5 Years Ago. Racism Is Real, I’ve Experienced It. When Will It Stop? #Justice# #BlackLivesMatter
Bostick’s story isn’t so different from other NFL players who have received despicable messages from “fans” who are disappointed with on-field mistakes or other outcomes related to the game. Packers safety Adrian Amos experienced something similar last spring after he signed with Green Bay instead of Chicago, getting racist messages from a Bears fan account that he shared on his Instagram story at the time.
Martellus Bennett, another former Packers tight end, has also been known to put racists on blast for messages he received during his time in Green Bay. He called out the NFL along with quarterbacks Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers last week, asserting none of them are true allies in a Twitter tirade that covered a lot of ground.
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Bostick’s Mistake was Career-Defining for Young TE
Bostick’s name became one of the most infamous in Green Bay’s recent postseason history during that fateful game in 2015 after his “split-second reaction” to an oncoming onside kick prevented the Packers from recovering the ball with a five-point lead and 2:07 left to play.
As the ball popped up and started falling directly toward a ready-to-receive Jordy Nelson, Bostick jumped in front of him, missed the ball with his hands and watched as it bounced off his helmet and into the hands of Seahawks wide receiver Chris Matthews. The Seahawks scored off the resulting possession and eventually won in overtime to advance to the biggest stage.
Here is how Bostick described the career-altering play while speaking with Ryan Wood of Packers News in 2018:
“It was a split-second reaction,” Bostick said. “The ball was in the air. I was so used to getting it. Like, jump and catch it. But in that situation, that wasn’t my job. Any other job when you’re a tight end, you run, you jump up and catch the ball. But in that situation, that wasn’t my job.
“I just lost track of what my assignment was in that situation. It wasn’t like I was trying to be a hero and win the game. I was just like, ‘Oh, ball. Get it.’ That’s what I did at the time, but that wasn’t my job.”
Bostick never played another snap for the Packers and was released less than a month later, spending the 2015 season on various practice squads before playing one final season with the New York Jets in 2016. He caught 17 passes for 186 yards and two touchdowns across 40 career games, including 11 receptions for 63 yards in 16 games for the Jets.
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