Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Protests personal for ’Fins’ Wilkins
Wilkins says protests hit home after unarmed grandfather killed in police shooting
While many professional athletes have had personal experiences with police harassment, and have seen firsthand how it impacts families, the social justice issues that have sparked national protests for the past two weeks hit home for Christian Wilkins.
The Miami Dolphins defensive tackle was 15 years old when his grandfather was killed by a SWAT officer in Framingham, Massachusetts, in 2011.
Eurie Stamps Sr. was lying face down in his home when he was shot in the back of the head by the officer, who entered the family home believing Stamps’ stepson was selling drugs.
The officer’s gun accidentally discharged while preparing for a weapons check, and the 68-year-old veteran, a bus driver with no criminal history, was killed.
Wilkins, and his family were forever scarred.
“What’s going on in the country right now is extremely personal to me because I experienced it with my family,” Wilkins said Thursday, referring to the national protests that were sparked by George Floyd’s murder at the hands of four
Minneapolis police officers. “It’s my job to use my platform to shed some positive light and [be] a spark of hope.”
Wilkins encourages those who have experienced some form of social injustice or police brutality to speak up, stepping out of their comfort zone and ‘use their voice” to create more awareness.
But Wilkins, a 2019 firstround pick, didn’t kneel during the national anthem while at Clemson or with the Dolphins. While not committing to doing so this season, both he and offensive lineman Ted Karras stressed participating in some kind of protest during the anthem is a topic the Dolphins will dis
cuss as a team in the near future.
The Dolphins have had at least one kneeling player since former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick began the peaceful protests in 2016. Receiver Albert Wilson was the lone kneeling player in 2019.
Owner Steve Ross has annually supported players’ rights to peacefully protest before kickoff. The NFL recently released a statement acknowledging regret for the stance it took, discouraging players from conducting peaceful protests to create awareness towards social justice issues and racial equality.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell released his statement after nearly 20 high-profile players called on the NFL to take a stronger stance amid the nationwide protests against racial injustice and police brutality.
Wilkins admitted it has been hard to not get emotional watching the protests, with the goal of halting the type of harassment his family faced.
“It hurts to see what’s happening to us, [to] a lot of people that look like me. It’s something that’s been going on forever, and something we’ve always had to deal with. But now I feel like the rest of the world is starting to see what we go through as a black community and the challenges we face day in and day out. Now is a good time for change to really happen,” Wilkins said. “It’s great to see a lot of my counterparts, a lot of my brothers speaking out, whether its guys in the NFL, NBA, MLB, wherever.
“A lot of people are speaking up, using their voice and its good because change needs to happen,” Wilkins continued. “Black, white, it doesn’t matter. Everyone has a part to play in making these changes, and making the world a better place.”