Jonathan “MopTop” Sanders is being honored by the NFL through their Inspire Change program. Various players are going to wear helmet decals and badges to honor victims of systemic racism, victims of police brutality, and social justice heroes.
Sanders’ mother, Francis Sanders, submitted his name for the program, and Todd Gurley with the Falcons will be wearing his decal and badge in honor of him.
“My son, Jonathan Sanders, was a family man. He loved his family and friends. He also was an outdoor sportsman. He loved horses, dogs, and fishing. If he could help someone on his daily journey, that would be at the top of his agenda,” stated Francis Sanders. “Jonathan was choked for approximately 20 minutes by a white police officer on July 8, 2015, in Stonewall, MS. Until this day, I still haven’t got justice. The night of his death, he was exercising his horse to enter in the Neshoba County Mississippi Fair. I would like my son to be remembered as a hero because he was always there for all his family and friends.”
Editor’s note:
The Stonewall police officer in this case was cleared of any wrongdoing in January 2016 by the Grand Jury of Clarke County. The officer had been accused of choking Sanders’ to death during the altercation; however, the pathologist report that was provided to the grand jury dispelled that rumor. The grand jury findings concluded that no excessive force was used during the struggle between the officer and Sanders.
