Patriots

Morning sports update: Anquan Boldin said it was ‘significant’ Tom Brady signed Players Coalition letter about Ahmaud Arbery

"To have someone like Tom Brady sign the letter, it was very significant."

Tom Brady in 2019. Winslow Townson/AP Images for Panini

May 12, 2020

On Monday, former Patriots defensive lineman Richard Seymour was announced as the 2020 inductee into the Patriots Hall of Fame.

The Patriots shared the phone call in which Robert Kraft spoke with Seymour after the announcement.

Speechless.

Listen as RKK gives @BigSey93 the call to @TheHall. pic.twitter.com/L9UL1Q7Pc0

— New England Patriots (@Patriots) May 11, 2020

Anquan Boldin talked about Tom Brady’s support: On May 8, the Players Coalition sent an open letter to the Department of Justice (specifically, United States Attorney General William Barr) calling for a federal investigation into the shooting of Ahmaud Arbery, a 25-year-old Georgia man who was shot and killed while jogging in his neighborhood on Feb. 23.

The letter was signed by more than 60 athletes and coaches, including several past and present Patriots. Tom Brady’s name was among those who signed:

Today should’ve been Ahmaud Arbery’s 26th birthday. Instead, our nation is mourning. Because of the local conflict of interest, @playercoalition, other athletes, and I are urging Attorney General Barr, to have the FBI and the DOJ investigate this tragic death. We need action. pic.twitter.com/2qG8lih6A4

— Anquan Boldin (@AnquanBoldin) May 8, 2020

On Monday, Anquan Boldin, a co-founder of the Players Coalition, explained why Brady’s support can be so impactful.

“I think it’s very significant, especially having Tom be a guy who hasn’t been involved in politics at all,” Boldin said during an interview on ESPN. “He’s kind of stayed away from it. But it just goes to show that people are tired of [injustice] happening. We’ve seen it over and over again, and far too long, we’ve allowed it to go on and not speak out about it. So to have someone like Tom Brady sign the letter, it was very significant.”

The story received an increasing level of national attention when no arrests were made in connection with the murder for two months. Finally, days after a leaked video showed the murder, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation arrested Gregory McMichael and his son, Travis.

The Justice Department is now considering possible hate crime charges in the case, since Georgia has no hate crime laws at the state level.

Brady was far from the only player with ties to the Patriots to sign the letter. David Andrews, Julian Edelman, Devin and Jason McCourty, James White, and 15 other current or former Patriots signed.

Trivia: Who is the last Red Sox player to lead the American League in triples in a season?

(Answer at the bottom).

Hint: He was drafted by the Red Sox using a compensatory pick from the Angels for signing Orlando Cabrera in free agency.

More from Boston.com:

Bill Belichick’s statement on Richard Seymour getting into the Patriots’ Hall of Fame:

Coach Belichick on @BigSey93‘s selection to @TheHall: https://t.co/fUsTvoxcbf pic.twitter.com/ocqF4xdZGb

— New England Patriots (@Patriots) May 11, 2020

Looking back on Tom Brady’s 2009 comeback against the Bills:

On this day: In 2000, Pedro Martinez got a standing ovation at Camden Yards as he closed out a complete game shutout of the Orioles, punctuating his performance with 15 strikeouts in a 9-0 win.