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Richard Sherman addresses protests with a walk-off news conference

Richard Sherman (25) and the Seattle Seahawks locked arms during the national anthem in a sign of unity (AP)
Richard Sherman (25) and the Seattle Seahawks locked arms during the national anthem in a sign of unity on Sept. 11. (AP)

Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman knew what he wanted to say, and didn’t feel the need to take questions about it after he was done.

Sherman, one of the most publicly socially aware players in the NFL, wanted to address all the attention being brought to players protesting during the national anthem. Sherman’s Seattle Seahawks showed their support to the cause by locking arms during the national anthem.

Here’s Sherman’s news conference, via Gregg Bell of The News Tribune:

One of Sherman’s messages was that the actual message of the players — about racial inequality and police brutality — is being lost. He referenced recent police shootings in his remarks.

“I think people are still missing the point,” Sherman said. “The reason these guys are kneeling, the reason we’re locking arms, is to bring people together and make people aware this is not right. It’s not right for people to be getting killed in the street.”

Sherman said he talks to kids when he does community service and inspires them to aspire to more, but it’s hard when you read news about police shootings.

“That’s an unfortunate time to be living,” Sherman siad. “That’s an unfortunate place to be in. There’s not a lot you can tell a kid.”

Although Sherman said last month about the anthem protests that San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who has been kneeling for the anthem, “could have picked a better platform and a better way to do it,” he respected and supported the cause, and said racial inequality needs to be addressed.

Sherman spoke for a little less than two minutes about social issues on his mind and then left.

“When a guy takes a knee, you can ignore it, you can say he’s not being patriotic or he’s not honoring the flag, I’m doing none of those things, I’m saying it straight up: This is wrong, and we need to do something,” Sherman said before thanking the media and walking off.

(Yahoo Sports)
(Graphic by Amber Matsumoto/Yahoo Sports)

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Frank Schwab is the editor of Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at shutdown.corner@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!