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After being traded to the Steelers on Saturday night, cornerback Brandon Boykin texted with CSN Philly's Derrick Gunn and had some strong words to say about Chip Kelly. Now that he's arrived at Steelers training camp. Boykin spoke with NFL.com's Judy Battista and clarified his comments.
Boykin arrives in Latrobe: Chip not a racist, he said, but he and other players wished they interacted with him more and he related to them.
— Judy Battista (@judybattista) August 2, 2015
More Boykin from Latrobe: "I'm not saying he's a racist at all. When you are a player, you want to be able to relate to your coach outside..
— Judy Battista (@judybattista) August 2, 2015
Boykin...."of ftball. There were times, he just wouldn't talk to people. You would walk down the hallway, he wouldn't say anything to you."
— Judy Battista (@judybattista) August 2, 2015
Boykin's comments sound familiar to the ones made by several other departing stars, including DeSean Jackson and LeSean McCoy. What's interesting about them coming from Boykin, however, is that he wasn't considered an issue in the locker room, and appeared to be very well-respected teammate.
What's more, Boykin's comments seem to fall in line with what we know about Kelly as a person, especially as it relates to Kelly's interaction with those within the walls of the NovaCare Complex. In a recent Washington Post profile of Kelly, former Oregon Ducks AD Mike Bellotti said, "I’m not sure I would consider that I know Chip."
As for Kelly himself, the Eagles' head coach was taken aback by Boykin's comments, saying that he didn't feel there was any animosity after delivering the news to Boykin himself. From Birds 24/7:
"It did, it really [surprised me]. When he left here last night, he shook my hand and gave me a hug, he didn’t say anything."
The Eagles received a conditional fifth round pick that turns into a fourth if Boykin plays 60 percent of the snaps for the Steelers in 2015. Though the Eagles said publicly that Boykin would be given a shot to play on the outside in training camp, history seemed to suggest that he wouldn't have been given that chance. Being traded to Pittsburgh will likely give Boykin a better shot of actually becoming an outside corner.