Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Chris Long will donate his first six 2017 game checks to fund scholarships in his hometown of Charlottesville, Va.
In a statement, Long said he and his wife Megan were inspired to fund the scholarship program following the white supremacist protests in on Aug. 12, that left one dead and 19 more injured.
“In August, we watched people fill our hometown streets with hatred and bigotry,” Long said. “Megan and I decided to try to combat those actions with our own positive investment in the community.”
The scholarships will provide two students with a seven-year paid education program in Charlottesville at his alma mater, St. Anne’s Belfield School.
Long, who played football at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, has played for the St. Louis Rams and the New England Patriots. He joined the Eagles prior to this season — and has already made a splash.
Less than a week after the Charlottesville violence, Long stood next to fellow Eagles player, safety Malcolm Jenkins, who had his right fist raised. Jenkins has been raising his fist during the national anthem since 2016 to protest racism and police brutality.
“I just told Malcolm, ‘I’m here for you,'” Long said after the game, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.
“I think it’s a good time for people that look like me to be here for people that are fighting for equality. If you don’t see why you need allies for people that are fighting for equality right now, I don’t think you’ll ever see it. My thing is Malcolm’s a leader and I’m here to show support as a white athlete,” Long said.
Long also spoke about the violence in his hometown, telling CSNPhilly: “Some people are tired of hearing me tweet because they want me to stick to football but I like to use social media like I was a regular guy because I think I am. I don’t tell people to stick to their job when they want to talk politics. And this isn’t political. That’s the thing. Everybody is trying to turn this political. This isn’t a political issue. This is right or wrong.”
