Alexander Mattison thanks NFL fans for support after racist abuse for fumbling in Vikings’ loss to Eagles
- Alexander Mattison was responsible for one of the Vikings’ four turnovers on TNF
- After the match, Mattison received a litany of hateful and racist online abuse
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Vikings running back Alexander Mattison has thanked NFL fans who sent him support after a turbulent Thursday night in which he received more than a few unsavory messages on social media.
Mattison was hit with a barrage of racist, hateful social media messages he’s received since losing one of the team’s four fumbles in Thursday night’s 34-28 loss to Philadelphia.
Naturally, more right-thinking individuals have since rallied around Boise State’s former standout.
In a post on X Saturday, Mattison explained that his initial reveal was only intended to clarify what players are going through.
âWe are real people under the helmet… no athlete deserves to be harassed, disrespected and threatened.
âRacism, at its core, is centered in fear and ignorance â and the only way we can work against it is to tackle it head-on.
Vikings running back Alexander Mattison released a message of thanks Saturday
Mattison revealed racist hate messages he received via Instagram the day after the loss
Mattison, a 25-year-old running back charged with replacing departed free agent Dalvin Cook, revealed two direct messages he received, both of which begged him to commit suicide.
‘We deserve better from the fans. The NFL is meant to represent family, so we need to hold each other accountable for our actions and be better to each other.â
The 25-year-old running back, who is charged with replacing departed free agent Dalvin Cook, revealed two direct messages he received, both of which begged him to commit suicide.
Messages not only included the N-word and other racist comments, but also explicitly told Mattison that he was stupid.
âI hope the 60+ people who decided to reach out to me tonight with disgustingly disrespectful messages in DMs and comments actually think about WTF you’re saying and how it can really affect someone,â Mattison wrote on Instagram on Friday.
‘Under my helmet I am a human being. A father.. A son. This is sick. SMH.’
The Vikings fell to 0-2 on the season, with both losses by one score, a year after going 11-0 in one-score games in a 13-4 season.
Next up for Mattison and the Vikes is the LA Chargers at home on Sunday, September 24.