Clemson Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney said Tuesday that he believes black people’s lives are important, but that he is not in favor of players who put social justice messages in their uniforms or helmets.
“I’m just in favor of the messages, but I’m a very classic guy,” Swinney said, through Grace Raynor of Athletic. “I’m from Alabama. But everything has changed this year. “
He also said that “anyone who doesn’t care about black people’s lives deserves to take a look at their soul,” according to ESPN’s David Hale, but added that he was “apolitical. “
“I agree with many messages, but I disagree with political organizations. It’s another matter. I’m apolitical. For me, it’s a division. I voted a Democrat, a Republican, an independent, I wrote about other people when I didn’t like anyone running. I’m apolitical with organizations. I don’t like organizations, I don’t feel the unusual causes. “
At his radio show Monday night, Swinney said he supported his players’ right to freedom of expression, according to Hale:
“For our football team, this is America and everyone has the right to freedom of expression. I don’t judge anyone because they don’t think the way I think. I think that’s one of the disorders we have. We don’t judge him. I no longer have tolerance or respect for differences of opinion, other issues of opinion. There is no one here who supports a senseless death of any kind, racism, anything that opposes police or police brutality. No one supports those things. “
The NCAA announced in July that school football players would be allowed to put social justice messages in their uniforms. The NBA and WNBA allowed their players to do the same in their respective bubble environments amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
NFL players wore a jersey in the area before the Week 1 games that read “Injustice opposed to one of us is an injustice opposite to all of us” on the front and “Racism End” on the back. Thomas helped design the T-shirts.