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Richie Incognito says he's voting for Donald Trump because he identifies with his 'toughness'

In a new Bleacher Report story about how the election has affected NFL locker rooms, comes this endorsement from Buffalo Bills guard Richie Incognito, the only player willing to speak on the record about who he was voting for in the piece:

Ryan declined to comment, but at least one white Buffalo player—Richie Incognito, the offensive lineman notorious for a bullying scandal that included racial slurs and who has now become a force in the Bills clubhouse—insists that Trump’s winning message has resonated with NFL players like him.

“I think that he can help this nation get back to a world superpower,” Incognito told B/R Mag. “Where I think he could help is putting us first again and having that—it’s my mentality, too—having that tough attitude where you put America first and everyone’s thinking we’re the greatest nation in the world. Don’t mess with America. That toughness is where I identify with him.”

Other players told BR’s Mike Freeman that friendships have ended and there have been “low-level” locker room confrontations over support for the Republican candidate.

“A lot of black players believe saying the first black president isn’t really American is racist as f–k,” one player told B/R Mag.

Recalled another black player: “I was talking Trump and Hillary with a white teammate, and the conversation was fine. Things got a little heated when he said, ‘Trump isn’t racist.’ I don’t know how anyone doesn’t see how that’s just not true. We talked about that statement for two days.

“We were taking a break during practice maybe four days or so after our last conversation about Trump,” the player continued. “He came up to me and said, ‘Here’s why Trump’s not racist and Hillary is.’ Then we argued for another day. It was sort of heated again.”

Incognito, of course, is far from the first athlete to speak openly about who he’s voting for, even if players are still more reluctant to talk about the election this year. Earlier this week, LeBron James endorsed Hillary Clinton.
Head over to Bleacher Report to read the whole story.

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