Haynesworth calls for boycott of Vols football
Former NFL and University of Tennessee football player Albert Haynesworth is calling for a boycott of the Volunteers football program.
In a post Facebook reacting to the hiring of Josh Heupel, who was named the Vols’ 27th coach on Wednesday, Haynesworth called for Black alumni from the university to join him in boycotting the Vols, citing “systematic racism” as the primary reason.
Haynesworth criticized Tennessee for failing to interview Tee
Martin, the Vols’ wide receivers coach and former quarterback, for the opening. Haynesworth signed with the Vols in 1999, just a few months after Martin led Tennessee to its only modern national championship.
“Obviously Tennessee Vols take Tee Martin for granted!” Haynesworth wrote in a post on Facebook. “Why do (expletive) on him, hell he even reduce his salary to help the university out when he didn’t have to? Is it bc he’s black? UT won’t even interview him.”
Haynesworth wrote that he “will not be attending any games or supporting until I see change in the university that I love so much.” He said Tennessee has never paid Black coaches their due diligence, specifically mentioning former Tennessee assistant Kippy Brown, who was a candidate in 2009.
“Majority of your players are AfricanAmerican why not put a African-American coach to lead them especially the one that won Tennessee a championship? You guys give everyone except a black qualified man a chance!” Haynesworth wrote.
In an interview with Knoxville News last week, UT System President Randy Boyd was asked if it was fair to expect the university to produce a diversity hire for the athletic director or head coach position?
“It is definitely a very strong consideration and desire, but at the end of the day, we’re going to need to make what we think is the best choice for the future of UT athletics,” Boyd said. “So, that will be the first and foremost choice, but we want to make every effort to try to consider opportunities to improve diversity. We do have a lot of diverse coaches, minorities, in a lot of other positions, just not as head coaches at UT-Knoxville.”