Jameis Winston might not be the New York Giants’ starting quarterback, but he was their leader on Friday, offering a clear-eyed, impassioned speech about the realities of America and how the Jaxson Dart-Abdul Carter controversy is an opportunity.
Last weekend, Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart kicked up a hornet’s nest when he introduced President Donald Trump at a political rally. That prompted a response from Giants linebacker Abdul Carter, who thought the video of the event was AI because he was so shocked to see his quarterback standing with such a divisive figure.
Dart’s actions and Carter’s comments became social media catnip before the media world went into overdrive, casting doubt on the two young stars’ ability to co-exist in a critical season for the franchise.
On Friday, everyone put up a united front (for the most part) as Dart and Carter spoke with the media for the first time since the controversy started.
Dart offered a boilerplate response, saying he’d attended the rally out of respect for the presidency and because members of his family were in the military. He added that he and Carter are “brothers” and that they and their teammates had a productive conversation and are moving forward.
Carter followed and was a little more forthright, saying that he understands Dart supports Trump, but he does not, and “some things are bigger than football.” However, he and Dart are on the same page as teammates and united in their goals on the field.
The two also shared an embrace to make those sentiments manifest.
Then came Winston, and the NFL veteran spoke from the heart as he shared harrowing stories from his childhood in Alabama that came to mind amid the conversation about Dart’s appearance with Trump.
“I’m about to show you how you turn uncomfortable into a growing moment,” Winston told reporters. “I’m from a city, Birmingham, Alabama, where they blew up a church with four little girls, and their parents and family had to go around picking up their limbs in the Deep South. Picking up their limbs, four little girls. I’m from a city where a little 9-year-old girl who decided to march got put in jail for volunteering her right of free speech, for standing on what she believes in. That’s history, and I believe history repeats itself.
“But I also believe in respecting authority, treating the man and the woman as I would like to be treated. That is how uncomfortable situations and uncomfortable times help unify people because you know them, you realize from them, and you grow from them.
“I haven’t been a part of any openly traumatizing things like that happened, not 250 years ago when this country came into existence, but try about 80 years ago. We got people that still live during that time. Those little girls will still be living right now. That 9-year-old girl that got sprayed with hoses and you put dogs on her and put her in jail, she’s still living right now. There’s a little children’s book. I read this book about this 9-year-old marcher to my kids. That’s why educating our youth and informing them of our history is so important. A lot of people try to push it past.
“We living in it right now. We got a blonde-haired, blue-eyed, white kid and a Black Muslim religion Black kid who are coming together and showing y’all, showing the world that we can come together… Everything doesn’t have to be viewed in this perfect little snow globe, and everything doesn’t have to be perfect.”
Winston was asked whether he was proud of Carter for speaking up about something he felt strongly about, and he said he was actually proud of both Dart and Carter.
“I’m proud of Jaxson and Abdul for having this conversation, getting in front of y’all and speaking what they would love,” he said. “I’m proud of our team for understanding that like we don’t have to pick a side in this. We have to understand, we have to have support for other people’s, our team, like what they stand for.
“I’m not gonna say, ‘Oh man, you wrong. Why would you do that?’ I’m gonna say, ‘Okay, that’s probably not what I believe, but I love you as I love myself, right? So, I’m gonna give you some grace, all right? And I’m gonna help you. I’m gonna show you, hey, look, man, look, this is what happened. All right, this is how you handle this. All right, this is what teamwork looks like.’
“Being proud of my teammates, being separated by the mass media and hearing the opinions of people that don’t have nothing to do with this building, but just looking at a reason to point fingers at a blonde-haired, blue-eyed white boy and a black Muslim.”
Winston’s defense of both players likely won’t satisfy everyone, and certainly not the hot-take artists, but it does send the message that the Giants locker room is united moving forward.
About Sean Keeley
Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Managing Editor for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.