Getty The Seahawks are moving on from Bobby Wagner.
Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner attended a Seattle protest over the weekend but left after things turned violent. Wagner opened up about some of the challenges our country faces and described how a downtown Seattle protest he attended was peaceful before some individuals started destroying a police vehicle.
“It was very peaceful,” Wagner explained, per ESPN’s Brady Henderson. “Everything was peaceful until there was a white person that threw something at cops and they started fighting, they started tear-gassing everybody. And then I watched a group of white individuals destroy a cop car, set it on fire, and I watched black people try to stop them from doing that but it just wasn’t happening. Then it got to a point where I felt like it was unsafe for me to be there so I left.”
The Seahawks’ Virtual Call Focused on Current Events Rather Than Football
The Seahawks transcribed Bobby Wagner’s entire opening statement. Here it is:
The Seahawks are still in the midst of their virtual offseason, but Monday’s session had nothing to do with their strategy for next season. Wagner spoke with reporters about the Seahawks’ discussions on the tragic death of George Floyd and the protests going on across the country. Henderson reported that the Seahawks’ recent virtual team meeting had “nothing to do with football” as head coach Pete Carroll gave players an opportunity to discuss all that is going on in the world.
“Wagner said the Seahawks’ virtual team meeting today had nothing to do with football. ‘We focused on what was going on in the world and we gave anybody an opportunity to express their feelings, express their emotions and express their anger and whatever it was they’re feeling,'” Henderson tweeted.
Wagner Encouraged People to “Educate Themselves”
Bobby Wagner began a video press conference today with a plea to shift the focus away from rioters/looters and back to the reason behind the protests: “We’re tired of seeing black people getting killed.” Wagner said he was at Saturday’s protest in downtown Seattle.
Wagner talked at length about his own frustration over the death of Floyd among others and admitted that he was “tired like everybody else.” The Seahawks linebacker noted that it should not take something happening to someone you know for people to take action.
“It has to mean something, guys,” Wagner explained, per The News Tribune. “You know, I feel like it won’t really hit home until it happens to you. So, I mean, I know—I can’t see everybody on this Zoom call, but I’ll go out on a limb and say y’all rock with me. I’m pretty sure everybody on this call rocks with me. So imagine if I was that person. Imagine if that was me, with the knee to the neck. How would you feel? It don’t to happen to someone close to you for you to feel that way. I just urge everybody to educate themselves, and to figure what to do to make this better. The point is not, do you agree or disagree? It is, are you listening to the other perspective?”
Wagner is just the latest Seahawks player to offer his voice on police brutality over the last week. Russell Wilson released a statement and admitted that he feared for his children’s lives after watching the video of Floyd’s death. DK Metcalf, Duane Brown and Tyler Lockett are among the additional Seahawks players who have offered heartfelt messages about the injustice we are seeing in the world.