Current Events > White ESPN reporter attempts to lecture black NFL coach on importance of race

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https://twitter.com/Deacon_Schiele/status/1580300126815662085

Reporter: You and Mike Tomlin are two of the few black head coaches in the league. I wonder what your relationship is like with him and your thoughts on Steve Wilks [another black coach] joining that bowl.
Coach: I have a very good relationship with Tomlin. We dont look at what color we are when we coach against each other. We just know each other. I have a lot of very good white friends that coach in this league as well. I dont think its a big deal as far as us coaching against each other. I think its normal. Wilk's got an opportunity to do a good job, hopefully he does it. We coach ball. We dont look at color.
ESPN reporter: But you also understand that representation matters too, right? And that, you know, when aspiring coaches or even football players they see you guys, you know, they see someone who looks like them, maybe grew up like them, that has to mean something.
Coach: Well, when you say see you guys and look like them and grew up like them, it means that we are oddballs to begin with. And I think the minute you guys stop making a big deal about it, everybody else will as well.