As a Canadian quarterback, Brandon Bridge helped change a CFL rule.
The 28-year-old campaigned for a rule change that regulates the relationship between Canadians and Americans in one game. The idea was to make it easier for the teams to start a Canadian quarterback.
Now Bridge, the black man, hopes to help change the way police perceive, especially minorities. The quarterback, who has played in the CFL with Montreal, Saskatchewan, Toronto and BC for five years, is currently attending Ontario Police College with the aim of becoming a Peel Regional Police officer.
“The badge has started and I’m going to change something,” said Bridge, who was born in Toronto and grew up in Mississauga, Ont.
“I will protect the black brothers and sisters and any other color. When you appear as a police officer on a call, many people are afraid [and] feel in danger. I want to change this stereotype. “
The police across North America were investigated by officials after several murders. The death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Breonna Taylor in Louisville, Kentucky, and Rayshard Brooks in Atlanta caused police protests across the United States.
In Canada, relatives of a 62-year-old man who died in a police shootout in Mississauga request a public investigation, while the deaths of two indigenous people in New Brunswick have led to allegations of racism within the RCMP.
CLOCK | Athletes using their platforms:
Bridge says there are good police officers.
“I want to change my attitude and trust people, not just the black bulls, but the officers in general,” he said. “There are many good ones [police]. I have great respect for the men and women who do the service.
“I feel like a police officer, it’s a job where you can’t have bad apples. People call a police officer because [they] are literally their last hope. But if that last hope is still negative, who else can? [they] turn to? The [police] should appear to help a situation and not cause more harm. “
Bridge says he understands the demands to disappoint the police and instead spend the money on psychosocial services and social service programs.
“I don’t understand why you want to continue investing in something that gives you negative results,” he said. “I don’t blame her for that.”
“It starts at one”
As in the CFL, Bridge believes that a person can have an impact on policing. He wrote about his decision to leave football to the police and his experience of racism on Monday.
“It starts at one,” he said. “Much of the movement starts with a mindset and then just grows. I’m not the first, but I definitely want to take it further than I do now.”
Police forces need diversity to “give hope to children,” said Bridge.
When Bridge grew up, Bridge didn’t remember racism that “got stuck” [his] “He was discriminated against for the first time when he attended the University of South Alabama, but as a football player,” you were treated as kings. “
Bridge dressed for 69 CFL games, six as starters. He completed 225 out of 344 passes for 2,679 yards, 14 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He also had 71 positions for 325 yards and four points.
He split between Montreal and BC last season, but was frustrated by football when it appeared that teams preferred to sign American QBs against their Canadian counterparts.
CLOCK | Black athletes are increasingly forcing changes:
Bridge became interested in police work while speaking to officials at charity events.
“I would hear what they had to do, their daily lives,” he said. “I didn’t want to sit at a desk. I didn’t want to be a football coach.”
A quarterback on the field must be calm and show leadership. Bridge believes that this also applies to a police officer.
“You can’t have a weak mind,” he said. “You have to be mentally strong.
“You have to be a leader. When you see a quarterback on a game-winning drive, everyone is calm and collected. You have that boast. You have to have that leadership trust as a cop and quarterback.”
