Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices are the hottest political football at the moment. And even though President Donald Trump and his administration are doing their best to eradicate any kind of diversity initiatives from all walks of life, Ryan Clark is commending NFL commissioner Roger Goodell for not following the political winds of the moment.
Goodell isn’t usually one to take polarizing political stands. In fact, the NFL confirmed this week that it will not display an “End Racism” message in one of the Super Bowl endzones with Trump in attendance as a guest of New Orleans Saints owner Gayle Benson.
However, Goodell did take a stand for the league’s diversity initiatives in his annual Super Bowl press conference, saying they made the NFL a better place. And it was something that drew praise from Ryan Clark on his podcast, The Pivot, especially in the wake of everything happening in today’s current cultural climate.
Roger Goodell stood strong when asked if the NFL would halt diversity efforts amidst President Trump’s campaign against DEI. I appreciated the commissioner’s stance, & more importantly his reasoning. Having a diverse group of representation makes the NFL better!
The NFL is 53%… pic.twitter.com/ifB2rrLA41
— Ryan Clark (@Realrclark25) February 5, 2025
“Amidst what President Trump is doing in a truly all you can say is an assualt and an attack on diversity, equity, and inclusion, I think it was big for Roger Goodell to stand up as the NFL commissioner and say, ‘diversity has been good for us,'” Clark said. “The elevation of minority groups within the NFL has been something that has made the game better.”
Clark also talked about the importance of the league’s diversity efforts and the opportunities provided, especially amongst the coaching ranks. While the NFL is trying to put its best foot forward in this arena, the results have drawn scrutiny. This offseason, the NFL’s Rooney Rule has come under question for its effectiveness given some of the hiring choices and interview processes that teams undertook. Even Ryan Clark himself called it a “joke.”
“What it means is, previously you weren’t even giving the most qualified candidates opportunities. Right? Diversity, equity, inclusion policies were a form of necessity, right? Based on the way that this country was run, based on the allocation of wealth, there wasn’t enough representation to get you in the room, to get Fred in the room, to get me in the room. And we’re talking about a league in the NFL that’s 53% African-American. It’s only 36% African-American when we look at the assistant coaching ranks, which a lot of times are former players who now get those jobs. When you look at this past cycle, if I can just remember off the top of my head, Aaron Glenn was the only African-American coach to be hired,” Clark continued.
Ryan Clark then went straight to the second Donald Trump administration to show why Roger Goodell was in the right to put the NFL’s diversity initiatives in a positive light, because it was actually seeking out the most qualified people for job opportunities, counter to the narrative put forward by Trump and others.
“When Roger Goodell stands up, not necessarily against Trump’s attacks against DEI, but stands up and says that’s separate from what we’re doing, he doesn’t have to look any further than Trump’s cabinet. You mean to tell me those are the most qualified people politically to do those jobs? Those are the most experienced people to do those jobs? President Trump is the exact reason you need diversity, equity, and inclusion because of people like him,” Clark added.
Ryan Clark didn’t name names when talking about Donald Trump’s cabinet, but presumably he is talking about Fox News weekend host Pete Hegseth turned Secretary of Defense and admitted dead bear dumper Robert F. Kennedy Jr. heading the nation’s Department of Health and Human Services. Just for starters.
With Roger Goodell defending the NFL’s DEI initiatives publicly, it’ll be interesting to see if there is any public pushback from the powers that be in Washington against America’s most popular sports and entertainment property.
