Colts head coach Frank Reich opened a Monday conference call by making a statement in response to the killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer and the unrest that it has sparked across the country.
Reich said he believes everyone should be “standing up for the inherent dignity and rights of all people” because “our black community has bore the brunt of this injustice far too long.” On Thursday, Colts General Manager Chris Ballard made his own statement and said that team meetings this week have shown him that “we have guys hurting.”
Those meetings have been part of a process that’s led him to realize that he needs to change in order to help those and others who are suffering.
“I can’t sit here and remain silent, because that’s exactly what we’ve done every time our black community has cried for help. . . . I’ve been ignorant to this problem and I’ve come to a realization,” Ballard said, via Stephen Holder of TheAthletic.com. “We haven’t listened as a country . . . nothing will change until we do that. I’ve had long talks with our kids, especially my son, about what’s going on in our country. . . . And they have no idea. And that’s my fault. I was very naive to this . . . I figured, ‘I don’t see color.’ But I was probably doing things that were hurting other people.”
Ballard said quarterback Jacoby Brissett told the team “you’re either part of the solution or part of the problem” during their meetings this week and pledged that he and his family will be part of the solution moving forward.
