At BC, Kentucky, USF, coaches and players call off practice

Football practice was canceled at Boston College, Kentucky and South Florida on Thursday, joint decisions made by coaches and players and inspired by NBA players protesting racial injustice.

BC coach Jeff Hafley said instead of hitting the field, the team held meetings to discuss racism in the United States, first as a whole and then in smaller groups.

Some players shared stories about how racism affected them or their families, ”how scared they are sometimes, and how emotional they are right now,” said Hafley, who is in his first season as Eagles head coach.

At South Florida, another first-year coach called of practice.

”These are real-life situations that are going on,” Bulls coach Jeff Scott said, choking up. ”I think as a coach, you always take pride in being able to fix things for your players. This is one of those situations that, as a coach, you can’t fix for your players.”

The NBA called off its entire schedule Wednesday and Thursday after the Milwaukee Bucks decided not to take the court for a playoff game against the Orlando Magic to protest the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Blake, who is black, was shot seven times in the back when he leaned into his car. Other sports followed.

The college football season for many teams is still several weeks away, but still the movement spilled onto campuses across the country.

At Kentucky, players went to the practice field, and then left.

Earlier this summer, college football players and coaches all over the country were notable participants in rallies and marches to protest the death of George Floyd, a Black man who was being detained by police in Minneapolis.

The shooting of Blake has sparked a new round of protests and demonstrations.

”We have a group of people who are hurting, and we have coaches who are hurting. And we have another group of people who are trying to understand,” Hafley said. ”We have a group of people who stood up today and said, `I’m sorry I haven’t said anything. I don’t know what to say and I do have empathy, and I do care, and I want to help.’

”And I do believe we had some really great conversations today because things do need to change. There is too much hate and there needs to be more love and it’s sad,” Haffley said. ”And I’m very very proud of our football team today.”