Former Washington Redskins safety Ryan Clark was brought to tears speaking on his son, Jordan, encounter with racism at a Whataburger restaurant near the Arizona State campus. Clark was given the floor Friday on ESPN’s Get Up to touch on his thoughts after learning what Jordan and two his Sun Devils teammates allegedly endured.
Earlier this week, Jordan , a defensive back at Arizona State, shared his account of how a white woman directed a racial slur at Clark and his teammates at a drive-thru at the Whataburger restaurant.
Ryan Clark played 13 seasons in the NFL, including three with the Redskins. He has afforded a quality of life for his family. That included his son getting respectful nods for being the son of Clark.
However, an emotional Clark said he was upset with himself for not explaining to his son how he couldn’t just walk up to the car of a white person for help and his intentions not being misconstrued. Clark was also thankful his son and his teammates left the encounter alive.
“I’m playing out a scenario of if this woman would’ve had a weapon and she could easily say that these 3 young black men were threatening her … I believe that if that woman pulls a gun on those young men and that woman pulls the trigger, I believe that she’s never punished,” Clark says. “I believe that justice is never served. And, even if justice is served, it’s not enough to bring my son back.”
Both Arizona State and Whataburger released statements surrounding the incident.
Whataburger apologized to Jordan and his teammates and families for the “terrible experience.”
