24 Patriots among 1,100-plus athletes to sign letter to Congress in support of police reform bill
Twenty-four Patriots players are among the 1,100-plus pro athletes to sign a letter to Congress in support of the Ending Qualified Immunity Act.
FOXBOROUGH, MA – SEPTEMBER 22: Devin McCourty #32 of the New England Patriots reacts with Jason McCourty #30 after intercepting a pass during the third quarter of a game against the New York Jets at Gillette Stadium on September 22, 2019 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Billie Weiss/Getty Images)
Billie Weiss/Getty ImagesBy 98.5 The Sports Hub Staff
Twenty-four current players and executives from the Patriots are among the 1,100-plus professional athletes and coaches to sign a letter to Congress voicing their support for the new Ending Qualified Immunity Act. Director of player personnel Nick Caserio is among the Patriots to add his name to the letter.
The Ending Qualified Immunity Act is a new police reform bill introduced by Mass. representative Ayanna Pressley and Mich. representative Justin Amash. It aims to end the "qualified immunity" doctrine, which Pressley says "shields police from accountability, impedes true justice, and undermines the constitutional rights of every person in this country."
The proposed bill comes in the wake of unrest across the country after the death of George Floyd, which led to protests in all 50 states. Early protests in Boston descended into clashes with police, riots, and looting after sundown. There have also been many demonstrations that were mostly peaceful.
Maddie Meyer/Getty ImagesTwenty-three Patriots players are among the over 1,100 pro athletes to sign a letter to Congress in support of the Ending Qualified Immunity Act. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
NESN's Doug Kyed transcribed the list of Patriots players who signed the letter for the Players Coalition. You can read the full list below:
Quincy Adeboyejo
Beau Allen
David Andrews
Justin Bethel
Terrence Brooks
Shilique Calhoun
Nick Caserio
Jermaine Eluemunor
Mailk Gant
Lawrence Guy
Dont'a Hightower
Brian Hoyer
Matt LaCosse
Devin McCourty
Jason McCourty
Adrian Phillips
Derek Rivers
Mohamed Sanu
Matthew Slater
Jarrett Stidham
James White
Joejuan Williams
Chase Winovich
Devin McCourty was recently honored for his work with local non-profit organization Boston Uncornered. Patriots head coach Bill Belichick credited McCourty with inspiring him to become a more active voice in spreading his players' messages of social justice.
The Kraft family is taking its own initiatives. They've pledged to donate $1 million over 10 months of $100,000 payments to local grassroots organizations aimed at ending systemic racism. Elsewhere on the roster, running back James White recently released a statement on recent events in the country.
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