Wilkins Looking to 'Shed a Positive Light'

Defensive tackle Christian Wilkins wore number 42 at Clemson in honor of his late grandfather, who was killed by a police officer in 2011, so the recent national events have struck a nerve.

"Pretty much for me, what’s going on in the country right now is extremely personal, because I experienced it with my family, whether it was my brothers or close family and friends," Wilkins said during a Zoom media session Thursday. "A lot of people know the story of what happened with my grandfather. So it’s extremely personal to me. I just feel like it’s really my job to use my platform to shed a positive light and be a spark of hope, really, through all of this."

Wilkins, however, does not know what form using his platform will take.

He also hasn't decided whether he'll be kneeling during the national anthem during the 2020 season.

"That’s something I’m sure I’ll figure out as we get closer to this season and something we’ll talk about as a team," Wilkins said. "We’ll figure things out. But that’s something I’ll think about more as we get closer to the season."

Wilkins, who earlier shared his story on Instagram, said it was hard for him not to get emotional over what's going on across the United States.

"It hurts to see what’s happening to a lot of people who look like me," he said. "And it’s something that’s been going on forever and stuff we’ve always had to deal with but now the rest of the world is really starting to see what we go through as a black community and the challenges we face day in and day out. I think now is definitely a good, positive time for some changes to really happen. And it’s great that I see a lot of my counterparts, a lot of my brothers, speaking out, speaking up about this, whether it’s guys in the NFL, NBA, MLB, wherever.

"A lot of people are speaking up and using their voice. It’s great because change needs to happen. Stuff has been happening like this for far too long. And we’re all one. And everybody has a part in it, whether you’re black, white, it doesn’t matter. Everyone has a part in making this change and making the world a better place."

Asked a second time whether he was planning on kneeling in the fall, Wilkins said his biggest thing was supporting those who spoke out against racial injustice.

"The biggest thing I'm in support of is people using their voice," he said. "It means a lot to a lot of people. That's what I'm behind. I'm behind people who are against social injustices. That's something that's important to me, that affects me personally. I'm in support of guys who are courageous enough to step out of their comfort zone, to be a leader and stand up for something that isn't right. That's what I'm all about. I'm behind guys who are willing to be that courageous, to do what they feel is necessary to allow their voice to be heard."