Bears Linebacker Attending Peaceful Protests, Calls on Players to ‘Use Their Platform’

Josh Woods will not remain silent. The second-year linebacker for the Chicago Bears has been joining peaceful protests in his hometown of Baltimore, and he shared details of his experiences with Jarrett Payton and WGN. Woods, like many others in the country, is protesting the murder of George Floyd, who died “due to asphyxia from sustained forceful pressure” after a police officer knelt on his neck for eight minutes in Minneapolis last week. Floyd was unarmed, and the officer caught on video kneeling on Floyd’s neck was not arrested until public outcry demanded it several days later.

Protests sprang up all over the country after Floyd’s death, with police brutality and racial injustice being primary motivators. Woods says he felt compelled to join the protests, and he shared some of his thoughts about the current state of affairs with Payton.

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Josh Woods Calls on Fellow Athletes to Speak Up About Racial Injustice

Woods, who attended the University of Maryland, was signed by the Bears as an undrafted free agent in 2018. He spent the entire season on the practice squad before becoming one of the more feel-good stories of last year, when he made the 53-man roster and played in nine games, contributing mostly on special teams. Woods may not be one of the more well-known names on the team’s roster, but he wants the game’s stars to add their voices to his, to speak now and speak loudly.

“If you’re not talking right now, it comes from a place of self-preservation, I feel like in a way,” Woods told Payton. “Or maybe, confusion. I want guys to use their platform. I can’t just tell guys to use their platform. I have to use my own. I’m not afraid of losing fans or losing out on money or endorsements. I’m not afraid of any of that because it transcends way beyond football.”

Woods noted that while many people feel relief when they spot an officer in a uniform, he doesn’t share that feeling based on his own lived experiences.

“I think the majority of people who may be confused get a sigh of relief when they see the police. Growing up as a Black man, there is never a sigh of relief when you see police,” Woods said. “Driving on a highway, minding your own business, going to and from work – haven’t done anything wrong, you just woke up and brushed your teeth and stepped outside – but driving past a cop, your hands will start sweating. People don’t understand what it’s like to be targeted, literally targeted. I’ve gotten replies back like ‘Oh, but nobody’s picking on you. Just follow the law.’ How many times do you have to hear that this is an innocent man? Not only are these innocent men, but at what point, do people have the ability to take another man’s life with no repercussions?”

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Woods Says Protests He Has Attended Have Been Peaceful

“For the most part it was a peaceful protest,” Woods told Payton about his experiences this past weekend. “There were times where we did have a couple of agitators who might throw a water bottle at cops who were barricaded in front of City Hall. I’m going to be honest. The police, honestly, haven’t – from what I’ve seen – been brutal or aggressive. The protest hasn’t gotten out of hand here … You see people with signs – people of all races, of all colors just wanting justice. There wasn’t much looting going on. These people were actually here for justice in front of City Hall. Got hit with some tear gas, but we made it out.”

When asked what he thought about some of the looting that was happening during protests, Woods was blunt.

“Things can be replaced. Lives can’t. If you want me to be brutally honest, the way that you get the White man to listen to you is through his pockets. This is an outcry from the community. I’m not saying that nobody has a personal gain from these things, but this is beyond a brand name. This is something that can’t continue. People can’t be replaced. We’ve tried the silent knee. We’ve tried the peaceful gatherings. It’s not working. Everything that I know about this country has come from violence. This land was stolen. If you want change – if you really want change – desperate times call for desperate measures. I don’t think violence is the answer to protests.”

You can watch Woods’ full interview with WGN here.

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