Hopkins addresses Swinney's comments on anthem protest |
Former Clemson standout DeAndre "Nuk" Hopkins was asked by the Associated Press on Wednesday about his former coach Dabo Swinney’s comments on NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s current anthem protest.
Hopkins thinks that Swinney doesn't have the right view on the subject. ”You can’t speak on something unless you’ve been put in that situation,” Hopkins told The Associated Press. ”I wouldn’t speak on something about something else if I had no idea what was going on or how they felt because I couldn’t relate to it. So I don’t suggest anybody else do it.” Swinney said the following comment about Colin Kaepernick's national anthem protest during Tuesday's press conference. "I think there’s a better way[not standing for anthem]," Swinney said. "How about call a press conference? Express your feelings. Everybody will show up, talk about it. Go and be a part of things, and protest them. That’s great. I think everybody has that right. I certainly respect that. But I just think that this just creates more division. That’s what I hate to see." Hopkins shared that he was called offensive things throughout his childhood. "I was getting called (the n-word) a lot, and I just knew it was offensive and me being me I went to the principal, and I told him: These guys are calling me this name, what should I do," Hopkins said. "And the principal was a white guy, and he said: `Get used to it, you’re going to deal with it your whole life." ”I think it’s hard to speak on something that you can’t relate to,” Hopkins said.
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