Devin McCourty is best known for being a champion on the field. Now retired from the Patriots, he is focused on championing the fight against injustice.
McCourty retired earlier this year. Speaking to 7’s Amaka Ubaka, he detailed efforts to make an impact off the field and more.
“Being a part of this, that was everything that we kind of worked hard and built up, it was the top of the mountain,” he said.
McCourty was recently honored for his work in the case of William Allen, who had been in prison for 27 years serving a life sentence for murder and armed robbery.
While Allen was involved in the crime, he was not the man who fatally stabbed the victim. McCourty learned about Allen’s case and knew he had to help.
“I was blown away from there and told everybody, ‘I’m in, let me know how I can help, what we need to do, but I’m all in on this,” he said.
McCourty moved fast, signing a letter to then-Gov. Charlie Baker pleading for Allen’s release. McCourty also appeared at a rally on the State House Steps and testified at an ensuing commutation hearing.
In January of 2022, he got the call — Allen’s sentence had been commuted.
“For me, it was the best feeling I’ve ever had other than my kids being born,” McCourty said.
“This man gets to come home and have freedom,” he continued. “To me, that end result trumps anything else that I’ve ever done on the football field.”
Fighting social injustice is not new for McCourty.
In 2016, he raised his fist after the national anthem during the season opener and was willing to take the heat.
“You don’t step out and do something and think that ‘This is all going to go so smooth,’” he said.
He continued, saying he remembers a public relations worker later handing him a packet of letters and emails that had been written to the team.
“It was every name you could be called as an African American in the country,” he said. “I should be cut immediately, should never play in the NFL, it was all of that backlash.”
As for any backlash against the Patriots, McCourty has remained loyal to his old coach Bill Belichick.
“I know that the thing around town now is Bill and ‘Should Bill be there?’” he said. “I think Bill is still a great coach.”
Asked if Mac Jones is the right quarterback for the Patriots, McCourty responded.
“I do think Mac needs more things around him to be successful,” he said.
Further asked if he could give Jones one piece of advice, he continued.
“Just go play ball,” McCourty said. “It sounds so cliche, but you can only control what you can control.”
McCourty said he will watch with interest to see what moves the Patriots make next. Now that he is off the field, though, he said he has more time for his favorite activity — being a dad.
“My biggest inspiration is my kids,” he said. “I don’t think they even know that.”
“My kids go and they play with anybody,” McCourty said. “They don’t think about ‘What’s your race? Where are you from? None of that stuff matters. They just go.”
“Being around youth is always inspirational,” McCourty continued.
McCourty said, so far, retirement has been nice. At 36-years-old, he added, he is just getting started.
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