The Philadelphia Eagles said they were shocked and fined wide receiver Riley Cooper a reportedly “substantial” amount for using the N-word slur at a Kenny Chesney concert.
Cooper, at a Kenny Chesney concert last month, was caught on tape saying, “I will jump the fence and fight every (N-word) here, bro.” The Philadelphia sports website, CrossingBroad, posted the video on its website on Wednesday.
“We are shocked and appalled by Riley Cooper’s words,” Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie said. “This sort of behavior or attitude from anyone has no role in a civil society. He has accepted responsibility for his words and his actions. He has been fined for this incident.”
Cooper apologized earlier in the day in a series of tweets and a formal statement before meeting with reporters.
According to NFL.com, Cooper said he was fined a “good amount of money” and “acknowledged that he had been drinking during the concert and his confrontation was with an African-American security guard. The video had been brought to his attention just hours before it circulated on the Internet.”
The NFL also released a statement: “The NFL stands for diversity and inclusion. Comments like this are wrong, offensive, and unacceptable.”
After the injury of star wide receiver Jeremy Maclin, Cooper, who went to college at Florida, was expected to take on a much bigger role in the offense this season.