Colts Coach Frank Reich Makes Statement on Injustice
INDIANAPOLIS — Indianapolis Colts head coach Frank Reich opened his Monday Zoom video conference call with media by sharing his own written statement regarding the nation’s social unrest and protests in response to the May 25th death of George Floyd while in police custody in Minneapolis.
“Injustice. Few things stir the human heart and soul like injustice,” Reich said. “When we see it, feel it, experience it, it’s heart-wrenching. It’s not enough for a person who looks like me to say, ‘I’m not racist.’ This kind of talk and thinking typically lends itself to a posture of neutrality, indifference, and passivity. It’s easy to be silent and do nothing when it doesn’t directly impact you.
“This attitude simply doesn’t evoke any conviction about doing what is right and standing up for the inherent dignity and rights of all people — no matter the color of their skin. I stand firmly behind the Colts’ statement and in particular the phrase that says, ‘We abhor racism.’ Racism is vile, deplorable, detestable. There’s no form of it that is acceptable and in now way can it be justified.
“Our black community has bore the brunt of this injustice far too long. I believe that I — we — all have a personal responsibility to speak up and act in ways that build each other up, not tear each other down. I believe each one of us can make a difference if we’re willing to grow personally and display the courage necessary for us to take steps of progress in the most important of issues.”
Reich then added why he wrote this.
“Just felt compelled to make a statement, I spent some time writing, and just wanted to share personally,” he said. “I know we issued an organizational statement, but I spent some time thinking and writing a statement that would reflect my own personal views.
“Just cannot be silent. Want to be proactive, and so, want to do my part and feel responsible.”
The Colts issued this statement on Sunday and shared it through Twitter:
A weekend of protests in Indianapolis included the deaths of two people, one of them former Indiana University football player Chris Beaty. He was shot multiple times downtown shortly before midnight on Saturday.
Reich became the second NFL coach, after the Miami Dolphins’ Brian Flores, to comment publicly on the social unrest.
(Phillip B. Wilson has covered the Indianapolis Colts for more than two decades and authored the 2013 book 100 Things Colts Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die. He’s on Twitter @pwilson24, on Facebook at @allcoltswithphilb and @100thingscoltsfans, and his email is phillipbwilson24@yahoo.com.)
