There aren’t many people in the nation’s capital who are willing to challenge the status quo, voice support for President Trump, or say that they love their country.
But Washington Football Team defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio is certainly one of the few who will.
The team’s newest defensive coordinator recently gave an interview with The Athletic’s Ben Standig, where the coach explained why he shares his opinions on social media. To Del Rio, it’s simply a matter of saying what he believes and engaging with others whether they agree or not.
“I am open to discuss at any time with anyone my thoughts and respectfully have exchanges,” Del Rio explained. “It’s just not always possible in today’s environment. I think it’s important to be able to have your own opinion and respect for each other.”
The coach added, “People may have an opinion that is different than mine, which is okay. I’m okay with actually having a conversation about it with anyone, including my players.”
Del Rio appeared on the social media radar in June, when he tweeted support for President Trump and then told detractors they could kiss his “A$$.”
On that same day, Del Rio put the coronavirus conundrum confronting professional athletes in context. In a way that, of course, went against the prevailing conventional wisdom of the sports media.
When asked about players choosing to opt-out of the 2020 season, Del Rio told Standig that he has “personal views that would probably not sit well with my professional occupation right now.” So far, however, only two Washington Football Team players have opted out.
In his tweet captioning the article about his social media presence, Del Rio explained his willingness to engage on social media by talking about his love of country and the men and women who defend it.
There haven’t been many wins for fans of the team formerly known as the Redskins this offseason. Nor were there many wins in the regular season either, which is a big reason why coach Del Rio is there. Though, the arrival of someone who is patriotic, unafraid to speak his mind, and happens to be a heck of a football coach, is definitely cause for hope.
Follow Dylan Gwinn on Twitter @themightygwinn
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