Nick Saban is joining many college football coaches, including some in the SEC, who are speaking out on the death of George Floyd and others. The incidents have sparked outrage, protests and riots across the country.

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Saban opened his statement, below, by describing himself as “shocked and angered by the tragic deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery.” He also shared his admiration for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks and others who have famously protested injustices and social inequalities:

I am shocked and angered by the tragic deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery. We’re at an important moment in our country, and now is the time for us to choose kindness, tolerance, understanding, empathy, and most importantly … it’s time to love each other. Every life is precious, and we must understand we have so many more things that unite us than divide us.

I’ve always been inspired and encouraged by examples set by those who came before us like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, and so many others who devoted their lives to find peaceful ways to rid our society of social inequities. As Dr. King said, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied to a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.” We are all part of this and we must banish these types of injustices in not just our country, but our world. The ultimate future of our nation is in our hands, and like the teams I’ve been privileged to coach, we must depend on and respect each other no matter our differences. We must come together as a society and treat one another with respect and dignity.