“Don’t Burn our Community Down” – Minnesota Vikings Cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick Opens Up on Rioting

Following the tragic death of George Floyd, the backlash against the law has flared. The situation has escalated to a stage where there is rioting and vandalism. Now, Minnesota Vikings player Dre Kirkpatrick opened up on the situation in his residence in Cincinnati.

Apparently, he had to prevent someone from setting fire to a neighboring store. He even harked back to a tornado that devastated Tuscaloosa before his final season with the Crimson Tide.

“I was very scared because I’ve never seen nothing like that,” Kirkpatrick told WCPO-TV. “The only thing that came close to looking like that, but it wasn’t so severe and people wasn’t going so crazy but it was just a devastating sight, and that was 2011, April 27, in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, when the tornado came through. That was a scary sight, but this was like terrifying because you didn’t know people’s motives.”

The 30-year-old recalled scenes of people throwing rocks and even shooting rounds off with their guns. In other words, it was a highly volatile situation. He had to do everything in his power to protect his store and prevent the block from catching on fire.

What does Dre Kirkpatrick do outside the field?

After eight seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals, the Minnesota Vikings roped in Kirkpatrick earlier this year. Outside NFL, Dre Kirkpatrick co-owns a store call Hutch Baby, a baby-supply business, with his girlfriend. He clarified that his beef is not with the protests, but the destruction that has accompanied it.

“I’m going to tell them not to keep breaking things in your own area where you live at,” Kirkpatrick said. “I feel like that’s stupid, that’s pointless. Quit destroying things that you have. Now you’re about to have to go 30 miles to a grocery store. You got to go 20 miles for a gas station. Don’t burn our community down. Don’t tear up the things that your auntie, your grandmama has to utilize.”

Kirkpatrick confessed that he tries to avoid speaking about racial or societal issues so that it doesn’t interfere in his career. However, he acknowledged that he has now grown and realized its importance.