UF admin, coaches and players speak out on George Floyd, racial injustice

University of Florida administration officials, coaches and current and former players all spoke out in recent days amid nationwide protests over police brutality and racial injustice, prompted by the killing of George Floyd last Monday.

Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was arrested Friday and charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter four days after pinning his knee for nearly nine minutes on the neck of Floyd, who was handcuffed, unarmed and repeatedly said he couldn't breathe before losing consciousness. Chauvin and the other three arresting officers were fired the next day.

Florida president Kent Fuchs, who strongly condemned white supremacist Richard Spencer in 2017 when he spoke at UF, posted a video to Twitter on Friday night calling for an end to police brutality and racism aimed at African Americans.

"Our hearts and our spirits are heavy as we grieve the needless police killing of George Floyd and other killings around the country due to racism, ignorance and hate. I condemn these acts of violence and share in the anger, the frustration and the sorrow felt by so many. The killing in Minneapolis brings to the fore the racism, injustice and violence that so often are directed at and experienced by African Americans," said Fuchs, who encouraged Gator Nation to consider their actions and how they can effect positive change on these issues.

Gators athletics director Scott Stricklin tweeted Saturday that Floyd's death, as well as the recent killings of Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor, highlight "the ongoing racism and violence many African Americans regularly face." Stricklin shared a Bible verse from Paul the Apostle and encouraged everyone to display genuine love toward one another.

Florida football coach Dan Mullen and men's basketball coach Mike White both made statements over the weekend along with Gators defensive line coach David Turner and Jamar Chaney, one of several recruiting staff members to speak out.

"Our staff, our team and I are deeply saddened by the needless passing of George Floyd, the latest example of brutality and social injustice in our country," White tweeted Saturday. "We can’t close our eyes and wish racism away. We can’t ignore Black lives and other ethnic minorities in America. What we can do is educate ourselves, listen to experiences that are different from our own and try to understand the hurt, the fears, the anger, the sadness those experiences can bring. We can work to be part of the solution. We can bring hope to the future. We can pray for equality and justice.”

Current and former UF players have also taken to social media, including Jacob Copeland, Bradley Beal, Udonis Haslem and Pete Alonso, who posted the following message on Instagram.

“For the past couple of days, I’ve struggled to wrap my mind around what’s happening,” Alonso wrote. “I have a voice and I will not remain silent. My heart has been broken over the murder of George Floyd. I will never know what it feels like to be discriminated against because (of) the color of my skin. To anyone who faces this type of discrimination, I will fight for you and be an ally. I will always stand with you. There needs to be justice and change made for the better of humanity. Let words be our sword and unity be our armor. Take care of each other.”