Tannehill Tackles Texas A&M Statue Issue

Ryan Tannehill promised to be more proactive in addressing race relations.

So far, he has lived up to his commitment.

The Tennessee Titans quarterback added his support last week to the idea that Texas A&M should remove a statue from campus that pays tribute to Lawrence Sullivan “Sul” Ross, one of the school’s first and most influential presidents. Tannehill spent four years at Texas A&M and was the football team’s starting quarterback for the final two (2010-11).

Current Aggies quarterback Kellen Mond raised the issue last week on Twitter. Two days later, Tannehill declared, “I’m with (Mond).”

Ross was general in the Confederate States Army.

I’m with @thekellenmond

We can’t continue to ignore the evil perpetrated by Sullivan Ross.#SullyGottaGo @TAMU @AggieFootball https://t.co/SUjqVTQLrA
— Ryan Tannehill (@ryantannehill1) June 18, 2020

In 1866, President Andrew Johnson approved Ross’ application for a pardon of his treason against the United States.

He was named president at Texas A&M in 1890 and served seven and a half years during which many notable traditions that remain to this day were created.

That appointment followed two terms as Governor of Texas (he was elected the first time by the widest margin in the office’s history) during which he earned a reputation as a fierce advocate for frontier education. It is a widely held belief that Prairie View A&M, an HBCU institution founded in 1876, would not have lasted beyond its earlier years without Ross’ efforts on its behalf.

A separate university, Sul Ross State, in Alpine, Texas is named in his honor.

The statue at Texas A&M stands in the middle of the school’s Academic Plaza and is considered a university landmark. Students traditionally place pennies at its feet for good luck on exams.

In response to the current debate, school officials had a tarp placed over the statue and convened two task forces, one to address race relations on campus and one to study and make recommendations for historic representations on campus.

Tannehill said his awareness of racial inequities in the United States began a dramatic change four years ago when he was with the Miami Dolphins. It began through conversations with African American teammates and has continued through similar discussions as a member of the Titans.

“It’s conversation, awareness and then it has to lead to action,” Tannehill said in a video press conference. “I think education is a big part of it -- educating people, white people, who don’t deal with it. Educating them to the reality of the situation on what’s going on.

“… Once we can have that education, the awareness, then we can all kind of work together toward finding that equality that I’d hope we all want.”