Bradley Patterson, a walk-on long-snapper for the University of North Alabama football team, was dismissed from the team on Sunday night shortly after he sent out a racist tweet about President Barack Obama.
When NBC cut away from its Sunday Night Football matchup between the Patriots and 49ers to bring viewers Obama’s address in Newtown, CT, Patterson sent out a tweet saying “Take that n**ger off the tv, we wanna watch football!” The tweet was picked up by Deadspin and published in a post Sunday night.
Shortly thereafter, UNA athletic director Mark Linder sent out a tweet acknowledging Patterson’s comments, saying the university does not condone them and Patterson “is no longer a member of the team.”
Patterson addressed his comments to a local news station:
With tears in his eyes, Patterson, a UNA freshman, talked about his recent post on Twitter.
“It really didn’t occur to me until I started thinking about it late last night that I realized what I got myself into, and I realized I couldn’t get myself out of it without at least asking for an apology,” he said. “I want to send out thoughts and prayers to all the children and teachers that lost their lives last Friday, and may God be with them.”
He shared a message to his former teammates – a group of men he once fought so hard to be a part of.
“I just want to tell them I’m sorry for everything that went on. I really ain’t like that. I ain’t racist. I wasn’t thinking last night when I put it on there, but I’m sorry to all the guys. I let them down and just don’t give up on me,” Patterson said.
