Brandon Boykin, the cornerback traded by the Philadelphia Eagles to the Pittsburgh Steelers on the eve of Eagles training camp, joined a lengthening list of former Eagles players and coaches to question head coach Chip Kelly and, in doing so, raise the spectre of a potential racial bias, in comments to a media member after the news of his trade broke.
Here's the full text of Boykin's comment from a CSNPhilly.com article from Geoff Mosher, after Boykin initially said that Kelly was "uncomfortable around grown men of our culture."
"He can't relate and that makes him uncomfortable," Boykin said. "He likes total control of everything, and he don't like to be uncomfortable. Players excel when you let them naturally be who they are, and in my experience that hasn't been important to him, but you guys have heard this before me."
And here are the original quotes as tweeted out by CSN's Derrick Gunn...
Here's what Brandon Boykin texted me about Chip Kelly before he left for Pittsburgh quote: "the truth is chip is uncomfortable around..
— Derrick Gunn (@TheRealDGunnCSN) August 2, 2015
grown men of our culture. he cant relate, and that makes him uncomfortable, he like to be in total control of everything. — Derrick Gunn (@TheRealDGunnCSN) August 2, 2015
players can excel when you naturally let them be who they are and in my experience that hasnt been important to him.
— Derrick Gunn (@TheRealDGunnCSN) August 2, 2015
im forever grateful to mr. lurie, howie, my teammates, and fans of philadelphia end quote. to see the full text go to https://t.co/VSoJpFQM48 — Derrick Gunn (@TheRealDGunnCSN) August 2, 2015
Former Eagles running back LeSean McCoy suggested in an interview with Sports Illustrated that Kelly was attempting to get rid of "all the good black players" on the Eagles and DeSean Jackson was jettisoned amid questions of potential gang ties. Former Eagles coaching intern Tra Thomas suggested that racial motives may have been behind some of Kelly's personnel decisions and had made some players question Kelly.
Stephen A. Smith of ESPN also suggested earlier this offseason that some of Kelly's moves had left "a few brothers feeling uncomfortable," but later denied that he was suggesting Kelly's decisions were racially motivated.
This is what Kelly had to say about questions of his feelings toward black players in May...
"That doesn't hurt me," Kelly said. "I'm not governed by the fear of what other people say. Events don't elicit feelings. I think beliefs elicit feelings. I understand what my beliefs are and I know how I am."
UPDATE, 2:30 PM: Boykin attempted to clarify his comments after arriving at Steelers training camp in Latrobe, PA. Via ESPN...
"When you're a player, you want to be able to relate to your coach off the field," Boykin told reporters at St. Vincent College, site of Steelers training camp. "There were times he just didn't talk to people. ... I'm not saying he's a racist in any way."
