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Texas A&M’s Anthony Hines clears the air after rumors swirl about his opt out
By Keith Farner
Published:
Texas AM LB Anthony Hines announced last week that he would opt out of playing this season. Now he has seen rumors swirl about his reasoning, so he decided to clear the air.
Hines wrote on Twitter Monday morning that, “I lost someone very close to me and my family to COVID 3 weeks ago. I made the decision to opt out of this season due to concern for me & my family’s safety, as well as to try to make an impact off the field regarding social injustice.”
Hines said he was not entering the NFL Draft because he has 2 years of eligibility remaining. Hines said he would focus on his last class at Texas A&M, and get active in the community. Hines said he loves the 12th man, and would support the team this season.
Hines was one of the most important players for the Aggies to opt out, alongside WR Jhamon Ausbon. Hines started all 13 games for the Aggies at linebacker in 2019, and he finished second on the team with 73 tackles.
In his first statement about the opt out, Hines wrote, “This year has been a wild ride to say the least,” he wrote. “With everything taking place in the world right now, from the pandemic, to the blatant injustices being committed towards people of color, it’s difficult to be 100% locked in to the game of football right now. I can’t help but see this time as an opportunity to try and make a difference in my community. With that being said, I have chosen to opt out of the 2020 football season.”
— Anthony Hines III (@TheAntHines_Era) September 21, 2020
A former newspaper veteran, Keith Farner is a news manager for Saturday Down South.
