College Football Coaches and Players Fight Against Racial Injustice

Former Alabama football offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin, who is now the head coach at Ole Miss, and his football team participated in protests this Saturday in order for their voices to be heard against racism.

Kiffin mentioned to ESPN that he wanted to unite his players after listening to their comments this past week. He said, "The important thing, though, is that this is just the start."

Kiffin's players told him they want the Confederate statue on the Ole Miss campus taken down and moved to another location. Faculty leaders and university staff had previously discussed the possibility of moving the statue to a historical cemetery located on campus.

On May 30, the statue was damaged by protesters and some people were arrested. In the past two weeks, people have been participating in rallies and protests around the United States because of George's Floyd's death.

The Ole Miss football players walked around campus letting their voices be heard. Kiffin and several people associated with the school and the town of Oxford spoke, including athletic director Keith Carter, and Oxford Mayor Robyn Tannehill. Players carried signs that read "BLACK LIVES MATTER,' so they could stand up for their rights.

Ryder Anderson, who is the defensive end for Ole Miss, spoke to the crowd. He said, "We are here because police brutality is here, because systematic oppression is here all across America, including Mississippi, including right here in Oxford. So my challenge to you is to fight it."

Lane Kiffin is entering his first season as the Ole Miss head football coach. He previously worked for Alabama football coach as the offensive coordinator from 2014 to 2016 until being hired as the Florida Atlantic Owls head football coach. According to Sports Reference, his college coaching record currently sits at 62-34.