Former NFL receiver Anquan Boldin, co-founder of the Players Coalition, has praised Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady and a few other of the league’s prominent white athletes for choosing to publicly support the black community in regards to social injustice.
The Players Coalition had sent a letter, which included more than 60 signatures from prominent athletes, to the Department of Justice calling for an immediate investigation into the shooting death of Ahmaud Arbery last week. Arbery, 25, was killed while jogging near his home in Georgia back in February.
Bolden spoke on ESPN’s “First Take” on Monday and applauded Brady and others for their support.
“I think it’s very significant. Especially having Tom (Brady) be a guy who hasn’t been involved in politics at all,” Boldin said. “He’s kind of stayed away from it. But it just goes to show that people are tired of this (the injustice) happening. We’ve seen it over and over again, and far too long, we’ve allowed it to go on and not speak out about it. So to have someone like Tom Brady sign the letter, it was very significant.”
Boldin said the Players Coalition reached out to Brady, who “was more than willing” to sign.
Current New England Patriots David Andrews, Julian Edelman and Ryan Izzo were among the white athletes and coaches who signed, while Stephon Gilmore and both Devin and Jason McCourty did so as well.
