SEATTLE — Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll canceled the team's practice Saturday following a passionate speech about racial equality.
"It’s the inspiration from the players, we need to listen to them, they’ve got wisdom, and they’ve got power, and they’re just sensing what they’re able to do and capable of doing and we need to hear them, and when we do that we’ll follow the right lead and good things will happen," said Carroll during a team press conference Saturday.
Carroll's speech comes following a week of canceled or postponed sporting events, including by the NBA and others in protest of the police shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
"Our players are screaming at us. 'Can you feel me, can you see me, can you hear me,' they just want to be respected, they just want to be accepted just like all of our white children and families want to be. It’s no different because we’re all the same," Carroll said.
Carroll also used his time on Saturday to call out other coaches and encourage them to talk with and listen to their players.
"This is a calling today for all coaches and specifically to take that leadership opportunity and address all of the situations we can address with our players and the people around the programs, at least there, at least I can touch on coaches and get to them," said Carroll.
He also discussed the importance of voting to make changes and said all Seahawks players would be officially registered to vote by the end of the day.
"Well, we got 60 days. The March on Washington was all about commitment, well why not take these 60 days and make a commitment to vote, and march together to get everybody in this country to vote, so that everybody in this country has the voice," said Carroll.
