Titans Top Pick: 'I Am George Floyd'
At 6-foot-7, 340 pounds, Isaiah Wilson is someone who stands out in a crowd.
In a thoughtful and poignant social media post Sunday, however, the 21-year-old Tennessee Titans first-round draft pick, expressed the feeling that he is as anonymous as another African American when viewed through the lens of racism.
Wilson joined many other professional athletes in the U.S. and across the world with a public reaction to the death of George Floyd last week in Minneapolis and the protests – peaceful and violent – that have taken place across the country in recent days. Floyd died while in police custody, and videos recorded by bystanders showed one of the arresting officers knelt on the back of his neck for nine minutes while Floyd complained of difficulty breathing.
“My heart hurts because I am George Floyd,” Wilson wrote. “When I take off the uniform and I’m no longer on the field I am George Floyd. My family is George Floyd. My friends are George Floyd. If you don’t understand the sentiment practice empathy and think about if your family/friends didn’t survive a police encounter for drinking a beer too young. (I’m) not political. (I’m) for humans. A balanced equilibrium where we are all the same. Please be safe during this trying time.”
Wilson was raised in Brooklyn, N.Y. and spent the past three years at the University of Georgia. The Titans selected him with the 29th pick in the 2020 NFL Draft with the idea that he will be their starting right tackle for years, possibly as soon as this fall.
“I want to become most polished player that I possibly can,” he said on draft day. “I think I have a lot of physical gifts and I’ve put a lot of things on tape, and if I refine those things and polish those things, I can be a great player for this organization. That’s my goal.”
Based on his latest comments, he has a chance to be a team spokesman as well.
