Dallas Cowboys’ British coach Aden Durde on taking a knee and diversity in the NFL

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British Dallas Cowboys defense coach Aden Derde discusses the value of kneeling down while continuing to tackle awkward conversations and the NFL’s pursuit of diversity.

British Dallas Cowboys defense coach Aden Derde says kneeling in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement is vital to continuing to tackle awkward conversations.

England players were recently booed by a small section of fans as they knelt in front of their Euro 2020 warm-up games, and opponents cited political issues as the reason for their actions.

Manager Gareth Southgate and his players have since reaffirmed that their stance is a peaceful protest against social injustice, inequality and discrimination, insisting that they are now “more than ever” determined to keep on their knees.

It has been nearly five years since former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick performed the national anthem ahead of the San Francisco 49ers’ third preseason match in 2016 to protest systemic racism and police brutality before kneeling on one knee for the kickoff. seasonal play next week.

“I think the discussion is good, I think that’s what it is about,” Durde told Sky Sports. “It raises awareness. I think you need to do this all the time. Is it 100 percent perfect? No, it is not, but it is an obvious thing. I think you just need to keep the discussion going, you have to keep engaging in awkward conversations. and then when people have an opportunity, you must give it all that you have.

“You may not always be successful, but you imagine the fact that these opportunities should be. Because what will happen is that if it doesn’t work for the first or second wave of people, the next wave of people will. ”

Durde believes that an ongoing commitment to inclusiveness can have a significant long-term impact, opening doors for others to fill roles like the one he worked on in the NFL.

“It’s like how I got into football, people like Jerry Anderson, he started professional football and got to where he came to, which helped me get where I was supposed to, and suddenly I got there. Where Should I Look at Efe (Obada) and Jordan (Mailat) and these people: they are at different levels, but to me they are the same concept.

“I need to meet Gareth several times and he’s a great guy. I think that’s all, to keep the discussion going and never forget that this is very important, and having people on these platforms using this platform to resolve issues is extremely important. , we must continue to do so. Because what happens is that you have opportunities like mine. I think we cannot look at it and think that ‘it doesn’t work’ and look at it cynically, it does. “

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