A month ago, assistant coaches for most NFL teams didn’t have a voice. Most head coaches discourage their assistants from talking publicly about anything to anyone.
But times have changed.
Bears assistant coach Sean Desai, an Indian American son of immigrants, has become the latest with NFL ties to write an essay. Desai, who joined the Bears in 2013 and now coaches the safeties, has a master’s degree from Columbia and received his doctorate in educational administration from Temple.
Desai’s Op-Ed appeared in The Athletic.
“We all need to renew our social contract with each other and pledge to act (PACT) for justice,” Desai wrote. “We must learn from the past and use that as a canvas to build our own future — one that is better and more wholly inclusive. We must bring relevancy back to governance by electing leaders that actually care about the people they represent. We have seen, as individuals and as a country, where self-preservation gets us.
“Let’s try something else. Let’s face our own biases and work to improve them. Let’s educate and communicate. Let’s open our minds to factual information and dialogue. Let’s open our hearts to love people for who they are and let’s fight for black lives who deserve an equal chance to live. The collective efforts of the masses are stronger than the mass efforts of a collective.
“George Floyd was denied his right to breathe by a system that has oppressed black Americans since this nation’s inception. It is our duty to use our breath to incite radical change with persistent action and consistent urgency. We, unlike Floyd and countless others, have the privilege of still breathing.”
Desai ends his essay with his justice pledge, vowing to take action on three things in the next 60 days.