Transcripts

Search Transcripts
Christian Wilkins – June 11, 2020 Download PDF version

Thursday, June 11, 2020

DT Christian Wilkins

(I have a question for you for versatility and it’s certainly a buzz word we talk about down here, and you’ve moved around as much as anybody among that defensive line last year. How do those multiple fronts and multiple roles for you really help maximize your game?) – “For me really, I just take a lot of pride in being able to do my job and a lot of other jobs along the defensive line. The saying in the NFL is, the more you can do the better, so I always try to add a lot to my game, and that comes from film study, working out hard, just really honing in on my craft at every position on the defensive line. That versatility is huge and I’m glad I’m able to do that for this team, because anything that can help this team I’m all for. We’ve got a really versatile defense. We do a lot of different fronts, a lot of different things upfront. I’m glad I’m able to do those things as a big part of our defense.”

(You’re still the ‘PA’ [NFLPA] rep, correct?) – “Yes.”

(What kind of communication have you had with the union about protocols about getting us back to football? Do you anticipate four or five weeks from now being back and ready to go at training camp? What information can you share with us?) – “The ‘PA’ (NFLPA) has done a good job of trying to figure things out. We’re really just trying to figure out the best way, and the safest way to carry out with the season this year or starting up on time and things like that. There’s a lot that goes into it, but really everyone is working hard on their end to try to figure something out. That’s really all that I can share, is that we are trying to figure everything out and do it in the safest way possible where it’s the best for everybody involved.”

(I wanted ask you about Clemson Head Coach Dabo Swinney. I know he’s been getting a lot of flack in the media with everything going on recently and a lot of players spoke out for him and advocated for him. I guess I wanted to ask, you know Dabo closer than a lot of us do. Who is he as a coach and what do you think about some of the things being said about him in the media in recent days?) – “About everything going on with Coach Swinney in the media, I just really feel like people are really trying to paint a negative picture on Coach Swinney in a lot of ways, and that’s not who he is at all. That’s not the guy I’ve known since I was a sophomore or junior in high school. He’s a man of faith, he loves his players, I know his character, I know his heart. I see a lot of different things being said about him that I don’t necessarily agree with. I know him personally, I know his intentions, I know his heart and I know he’s a great coach. He’s passionate about developing young men on and off the field. Granted, he might not have said all of the right things. He might have done some things that people disagree with and that maybe I disagree with. But that just shows where someone like me could really be a help to Coach Swinney too, just as someone who is close to him, and someone who loves him. To continue to help him and educate him, and continue to have those conversations with him about things going on with him and the media as well. I’m not going to let anyone create a negative image of Coach Swinney because my experience with him has been great and a lot of other players feel that way as well.”

(More than probably a lot of players in professional football, you have some sort of motivation behind what’s going on in the nation right now and the political protest regarding police brutality. With that being said, can you answer and address why you never thought about or did kneel, or did you think about doing some sort of protest when you were in college, when Colin Kaepernick started in 2016, and have you given it any thought to it now?) – “Like you said, pretty much for me, what’s going on in the country right now is extremely personal to me because I experienced it with my family. Whether it was my brothers or close family and friends – a lot of people know the story about what happened to my grandfather, so it’s extremely personal to me. I just feel like it’s my job to use my platform to shed a positive light and be a spark of hope really through all of this. As far as kneeling or anything like that, that’s something I’m sure I’ll figure out as we get closer to the season, and we’ll talk about it as a team and figure things out. That’s something I’ll think about as we get closer to the season.”

(Along those lines, you had a lengthy Instagram post about your grandfather with all of the emotions that were stirred up. I’m just curious – it’s obviously been a very raw time for a lot of people in this country. I’m curious to where your emotions are now and do you feel what we’re seeing these last couple of weeks has been positive in the sense that it has seemed to have sparked some change?) – “Like you said, it’s hard not to get emotional and (I) have strong feelings about what’s happening right now because it hurts to see what’s happening to a lot of people that look like me. It’s something that has been going on forever. It’s stuff we’ve always had to deal with but now I feel like the rest of the world is really starting to see what we go through as the black community and the challenges we face day in and day out. I think now is a good positive time for some change to really happen. It’s great that I see a lot of my counterparts, a lot of my brothers speaking up about this whether it’s guys in the NFL, NBA, MLB, wherever. A lot of people are speaking up and using their voice which is great because change needs to happen. Stuff has been happening like this for far too long. We’re all one and everybody has a part in it, whether you’re black or white, it doesn’t matter. Everybody has a part to making this change and making the world a better place.”

(I know you were asked about Clemson Head Coach Dabo Swinney earlier, but there was another storyline in the Clemson database last week about an assistant allegedly calling a player a slur. I wanted to ask you about your experiences at Clemson and whether you felt any sort of racism that other players may have alleged happened with that assistant or otherwise.) – “In terms of with that assistant, I obviously know of that situation. I was one of the guys who was first informed about that – I heard about that and everything – and obviously I wasn’t happy that he used that language at practice and in front of everybody. I was not happy with that. But for the most part, it’s not like it was a (common) thing or he said it a bunch. Personally for me and my experience at Clemson, in terms of racism, it might have been a lot different than the everyday black student in the Clemson community, because their life is different than mine where all of my interactions and everything are positive because I was an athlete, because I was a community leader, a person on campus that everybody could relate to and see, and they know it’s me and they showed me a lot of love. So my experience at Clemson was a lot different than the everyday black student, so in terms of that, obviously me coming from the North to the South, I experienced a little bit of a culture shock; but in terms of me personally dealing with specific examples and instances of racism, there were fewer of those, if that makes sense.”

(What do you feel like you need to see, what will make you comfortable returning to practice in late July. From the union standpoint and you personally what needs to be done for you to be ready for football?) – “Really, I just want to know if we can do everything in the safest manner possible and that there is a clear plan for everyone involved and that things can be done in an orderly fashion and in the safest way possible, because that’s all we care about. We always talk about player safety and it’s bigger than just the players on the field because things like that could affect our family, our loved ones and stuff like that too. I just want to know that there is a set plan that that in order to get on the field and get out there, and if someone does contract the virus or whatever, that there is a plan for that, and everything can be handled orderly and cleanly really.”

(What was your reaction to the Commissioner’s statement encouraging players to peacefully protest? Do you support that idea and will you support your teammates who express support for the social justice movements when the games start, the kneeling and such, or whatever they decide to do?) – “The biggest thing I’m in support of is that people using their voice and this means a lot to a lot of people. That’s what I’m behind, and I’m behind people who are against social injustices because that’s something that is important to me, that’s something that affects me personally. I’m in support of guys who are courageous enough to step out of their comfort zone and be a leader and stand up for something that isn’t right because that’s what I’m all about. I’m behind guys who are willing to be that courageous and do what they feel is necessary to allow their voice to be heard and using their platform.”

Search Transcripts

Weekly Archives