EWU football team shows unity in support of Black Lives Matter movement
CHENEY, Wash. — The Eastern Washington Eagle football team has always been proud of their family atmosphere, it’s showing even more now than maybe ever before. While the nation tries to figure out what’s next as far as racial equality, the Eagles are coming together to share one voice.
After posting a video on social media featuring many players and coaches, head coach Aaron Best says he’s very proud of his team.
“The players’ commitment to that and want to doing that was powerful,” Best said. “I watch it almost daily just to see those guys without helmets on what they really stand for, what they really mean. I thought it was really impressive by our guys to come together, ask us coaches to be a part of that and we didn’t blink we did it in a heartbeat.”
The support for the Black Lives Matter movement was started by the teams’ Senior class, most notably, their quarterback Eric Berriere.
“As a senior class you kind of want to lead by example, so we took it upon ourselves to just start in our group chat, figure out a way or come up with something to post that we do care about what’s going on and the situation,” Barriere explains.
The team says their public voice is being heard after they stopped to listen to each other privately.
“It’s been an educational experience, not a comfortable one, but we preach as coaches to grow you have to be uncomfortable,” Best said.
“I know for other people that haven’t experienced or just don’t know what black people are going through, I know it could be awkward for them but I just feel like people have got to understand where we’re coming from because no matter what we do, stuff can still turn out bad no matter what. you can be ‘good’ in a situation, and you can still end up getting killed,” Barriere explained.
The Eagles say the conversation has been important and has brought the team together even closer than before. Showing once again, the Eagle football team is one big family.
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