"Rashod Bateman was one of the first college football players to speak out this week.
One of those kids was
Rashod Bateman, who grew up in southern Georgia. He says racism was a part of life, and he saw it every day, in ways big and small. For the most part, he accepted it -- he was young and didn't know any better.
When he arrived to play football at Minnesota, he finally saw how different the world could be. More importantly, he said, he got a push from head coach P.J. Fleck to come out of his shell.
"Growing up, I never stood up to try to defend myself," said Bateman, who has blossomed as a star wide receiver for the Golden Gophers. "It was normal for us. When this first happened, I didn't know what to do. I went into my room and sat down and started thinking on how I could help. I knew there was only so much I could do being a student-athlete, but I wanted to use my voice the best way I can."
George Floyd's death has resonated deeply with Bateman. Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who is white,
was charged with second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter after video showed Chauvin kneeling on Floyd's neck for more than eight minutes as Floyd begged for air. Three other officers on the scene have been charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.
The soft-spoken Bateman went to Twitter, where he admitted he was afraid to go outside and implored followers to reconsider the way they treated people of color. He was among the first high-profile college athletes to show public displays of frustration."
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