The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Bateman to continue activism in NFL
Last year in the wake of the George Floyd killing that touched off social-injustice protests worldwide, Minnesota wide receiver Rashod Bateman of Tifton switched his jersey number from 13 to 0.
He said he thought there should be zero tolerance for racism and social injustice in America.
Now, after establishing an All-american career some 1,300 miles away from home, he’s projected to be one of the top receivers selected in the NFL draft, which is April 29 through May 1 in Cleveland.
Bateman plans to continue his activism and speak out.
“The NFL paychecks haven’t even hit yet, and I’m already involved in the community doing things,” Bateman said on a virtual call Wednesday. “That’s important to me, and it’s important to my family to do things like that. It’s not about the money whatsoever, but I will be involved in doing things like this for the rest of my life.”
Instead of going to the draft site, he’ll return home.
“I’ll be back home with my family in Tifton to cele- brate that and just to make sure that I can have the peo- ple that I care about with me during this important time,” Bateman said.
Bateman, listed at 6 feet 2 and 210 pounds, played
in 13 games as a freshman in 2018. He caught 51 passes for 704 yards and six touch- downs. In 2019, he caught 60 passes for 1,219 yards and 11 touchdowns and was named an All-american and the Big Ten’s receiver of the year.
In Minnesota’s upset of Penn State, Bateman had 203 receiving yards and helped the Golden Gophers finish No. 10, their highest ranking since 1962.
Bateman, who has asthma, opted out of the 2020 season at first. When the Big Ten went to everyday test- ing, he decided to play. He played in five games and had 36 catches for 372 yards and two touchdowns.
Minnesota was in on the recruiting of Bateman early. Former assistant Maurice Linguist, who once worked
at Valdosta State, scouted Bateman and passed on the recommendation to Minnesota wide receivers coach Matt Simon, who built a relationship over the phone.
The Minnesota staff worked a camp at West Geor- gia, in part to see Bateman in person. They offered and Bateman, who was a no-star recruit at the time, accepted.
“Minnesota was the first Power Five school to give me the opportunity to fulfill my dream of playing Divi- sion I, Power Five football,” Bateman said. “They gave me the opportunity. I committed right on the spot, and I never looked back. That’s just how recruiting works.”
He improved as a pros- pect his senior season at Tift County, and some of the SEC schools came running. Tennessee, South Car- olina, Texas A&M and Georgia recruited the commit- ted Bateman. He wouldn’t even meet with Virginia Tech coach Justin Fuente.
He met with Georgia’s Kirby Smart but turned down the Bulldogs.
“All the other teams came in and offered just because Minnesota did,” Bateman said. “I didn’t fall for the trick that they wanted to pull. I built a strong relation- ship with this coaching staff and this community.
“Minnesota is a place that I’ll come home to. It’s a place I’ll love forever.”
Bateman is a smooth route runner and playmaker.
He is the sixth rated receiver in the draft by Cbssports.com, behind LSU’S Ja’marr Chase, Ala- bama’s Jaylen Waddle, Alabama’s Devonta Smith, Purdue’s Rondale Moore, and Florida’s Kadarius Toney. Last year, six wide receivers went in the first round.
“Those are rankings, I don’t get too much caught up in that stuff,” Bateman said. “Time will tell. Time is going to prove everything. I believe in a higher power, and God has a destination for me, wherever I’m needed and wherever I’m wanted. That’s the mindset I have.”