Brian Flores – September 11, 2020
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Friday, September 11, 2020
Head Coach Brian Flores
(Obviously we want to know a little bit more about the video that was released last night. How did it come about and why did you decide to participate?) – “It came about because of all of the things that have gone on in the country over – obviously starting with Ahmaud Arbery and George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. I think this has been an ongoing conversation. I think we all know how it came about. It was a player-driven decision that came from a lot of conversations about trying to find a way to voice their opinion. It’s about issues that are important to the players and we decided to move forward with it. They are things that I’m supportive of as well, and that’s why I joined in with them.”
(I know some of the things that were spoken about in the video were calls for action. I know one of the players mentioned calling owners to use their political power to influence things more. Has the team or you had conversations with Stephen Ross about maybe how he could do more in that realm?) – “I talked to Steve about the video. He was supportive. But it was directed at everyone. I think every individual in this country can do a little bit better. It’s players, it’s coaches, it’s owners, it’s media, it’s everyone. Everyone can do better and that was the message. I think to try to misconstrue the message or take it some other – in a different light – that wasn’t what the message was supposed to be. We can all do better. We all need to do better. What’s happening in this country and really around the world, we need change. And it’s something that we’ve been saying for a long time. The players were – the video speaks for itself from that standpoint; but from a message standpoint, it’s that we can all do better.”
(Do you think the NFL’s response to the protest movement, specifically the NFL’s response, has been insufficient?) – “I think we can all do better. That was the message in the video. Nobody is going to put words in my mouth about how I feel about this, that or the other thing. I think the video speaks for itself. I think we can all do better. I think we can all – we all know the situation in this country. We’ve got kids who can’t go to school because there is no WiFi. To me, that’s a major issue because I would have been that kid growing up where I grew up. We can do better. We can find ways to help more people. That’s the message in the video. That’s what it is.”
(If I can go back to what was asked at the very start about how the video came to be, I think we’re curious about how it went from concept to actual production and the final product. Who wrote the words? How was the video recorded? Any details you can give us on that sort of thing?) – “I don’t have much for you on that. I’ve been trying to coach a football team. From the production of the video and who wrote it, I know Kaleb Thornhill, he’s obviously our director of player engagement, he had a lot to do with – he oversees the social justice committee. That group of guys had a lot of conversations. So Kaleb, I would say he spearheaded a lot of the conversations. He did, I thought, a really great job as far as opening up those lines of communication and giving those guys a platform to speak about some of the issues. They wrote a lot of what they thought down on paper and we were able to communicate it in the video, as you saw. Kaleb played a large role in it. He would know more about the production and all of those things. But it was player driven and they have our full support.”
(Did you notice the booing that took place in the Kansas City vs. Houston opener and what was your reaction to booing a moment of silence?) – “I guess I don’t really have a reaction. I think the moment of silence was for a specific reason and I think everybody understands that; but at the same time, there’s a game going on so fans, they’re rooting for their team – I mean you don’t know the specific reasoning behind why somebody is booing something. I don’t try to create an issue or create division based off that one instance.”
(You mentioned that the video was player driven and you obviously ended up coming in at the end. How was that kind of presented to you? When was it presented to you in the process and when did you decide that you wanted to be visible in the video?) – “I have conversations with the players all the time, whether it’s football related. I’ve been part of some of the social justice committee conversations – not all of them. Kaleb (Thornhill) has really handled most of that. But as they were putting it together, they felt like – they know where I stand on a lot of these issues anyway. I was asked to say a line and I said it.”
(There’s obviously a lot of division within the country on this subject. What’s your sense of locker room unity on this? Any concerns about it being potentially divisive?) – “The message is trying to create unity, not divide. That was partly why they wanted to do it. Specific to our locker room, I feel like we’re all on the same page. I hope it’s that way. But look, when you’re dealing with 53 guys and 16 practice squad players and coaches from different – coaches and personnel people from different places, you may have different opinions. That’s everywhere. That’s good. That’s a good thing as long as we communicate it and talk it out and show respect. The one thing I said to the players is it’s one thing – faith without works is dead. Faith or belief in something without works is dead. We can talk about doing things but we have to back it up with some action. They know that. They understand that. Anyone else who speaks out should understand that as well. That’s been the message to those guys and I think they understand that. I think they’re ready to help and take action in ways that they can. But just personally, I know that you never feel like you’re doing enough. You feel like you need more help. I think if we get more people trying to spend the time or donate or donate time or donate money, or actually just have a – I won’t call it a change of heart but empathy and an understanding – if we can get that, we’ll move in the right direction.”
(I want to get an update on CB Xavien Howard and CB Byron Jones. Those are two critical pieces of your secondary. How did they perform in practice this weekend and what are your thoughts on their status for Sunday’s game?) – “We’ll get obviously the clearest look today. Yesterday was more of a walkthrough. I thought that they – got some of the kinks out and some of the rust off. Today’s a big day so we’ll see where we’re at, where they’re at, as far as today; but they’re working hard to get back on the field – or not back on the field, but to get themselves ready to play and contribute to the team on Sunday.”
(Closing Statement) – “One last thing here. It’s 9/11. My uncle, I always give him a shout out on 9/11. He was part of Ladder 118 in Brooklyn. It was one of the first trucks to go in. He lost a lot of his – he wasn’t working that day, so he lost a lot of his coworkers that day. If you guys could shout him out for me, I’d appreciate it. Darrel Patterson is his name. Darrel Patterson.”
