Matthew Judon: Why didn't Roger Goodell say black lives matter before now?

Matthew Judon has questioned why NFL commissioner Roger Goodell refrained from speaking out against racism publicly in the past after he recently released a statement apologising to players for not listening to them on the matter.

Goodell followed up widely-criticised initial statements from the league in response to the death of George Floyd with a video of him stating 'Black Lives Matter' and admitting there would be no NFL without black players.

This came after some of the NFL's biggest stars united on a video to call on the league for more support in addressing racial injustice.

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"It's not something somebody should have to say, black lives should always matter," said the Baltimore Ravens' Judon.

"I don't think it's something that one person saying it is like 'oh now it makes sense'. My life mattered since August 15, 1992. I feel like everybody else, as a black person, they knew their life mattered when they were put on this earth.

"It's not when Roger Goodell said black lives matter that now everybody can say it. I think we should have been questioning why Roger Goodell didn't say black lives matter when he was born, or when he became commissioner or when he was re-elected commissioner.

"Racism is not a cool thing, it's not a trend. Like now let's all get behind [it].

"Did you not know what the protesting was when Martin Luther King was leading it, or when the Black Panthers stormed the Capitol building with AKs. I feel like everybody should read upon history and educate themselves."

The unlawful killing of Floyd has seen Colin Kaepernick's decision to kneel during the national anthem in 2016 in protest against police brutality move back into the conversation.

Kaepernick received little support from the NFL at the time of his peaceful action and has since been unable to get a job in the league, however Goodell recently said he would encourage teams to help the quarterback resume his career.

Judon added: "When [Colin Kaepernick] came out and said it's not about the Star Spangled Banner. It's not about the song, it's not about the troops, it's about how my people are being treated. It shouldn't have been pushed back, it should have been 'let's help this man in his cause'.

"That was just his way of expressing it. He did it very peacefully, he didn't make a ruckus about it. He didn't take pictures of himself.

"He didn't publicise it, but when he was asked about it, he explained himself in a matter than people should have understood.

"I feel like that's the fight, since black people have been in America, let's be treated equally. You treat your kids equally, just treat humans equally and then I feel like we can talk about differences.

"So I'm with all the protests that we have to do and all the progress that we have to make, I'm with all that. But it's not because Roger Goodell said black lives matter."

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