Chris Long isn’t going to keep his nose buried in the playbook.
The Philadelphia Eagles defensive end is a native of Charlottesville, Va., and he condemned the violence that occurred in his hometown Saturday, as well as President Donald Trump’s reaction to the violence via Twitter. The 32-year-old continued to voice his opinion Sunday.
“Some people are tired of hearing me tweet because they want me to stick to football but I like to use social media like I was a regular guy because I think I am,” Long said, per CSNPhilly. “I don’t tell people to stick to their job when they want to talk politics. And this isn’t political. That’s the thing. Everybody is trying to turn this political. This isn’t a political issue. This is right or wrong. I believe you’re on one side or the other.”
Long was referring to Trump’s condemnation of “violence on many sides” in the wake of the “Unite The Right” protests that turned violent, leaving three people dead.
The former New England Patriots defensive end, who played his college ball at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, believes sports can help people see the world from different perspectives, and claims it has helped make him the person he is.
“I wish everybody would have a chance to be on a team,” Long said. “I really do believe, it might be cliché, but we come from a lot of different walks of life and backgrounds and I’ve played with a lot of guys I probably would have never met in other walks of life. We sit here in a bubble in a really positive way. I wish the rest of the world could be on a team. I know that sounds kind of cliché but we get to really be exposed to each other’s different cultures, different ways of life and the way we look at different things. And I think that’s the really cool thing about being on a team.”
Long isn’t the only athlete to speak out on the horrific events in Charlottesville, as NBA superstar LeBron James also voiced his disgust with Saturday’s violent protest.
Thumbnail photo via Mark J. Rebilas/USA TODAY Sports Images
