Chris Kluwe, the Vikings punter for the last eight and a half years, has been released, according to reports. The Vikings drafted a punter in the fifth round of the NFL draft, Jeff Locke of UCLA, and Kluwe seemed to have a clue about his fate.
"Most teams generally don't draft a punter in the fifth round unless that's who they're going to go with," Kluwe told The Minnesota Star Tribune. "They said they would let me know Monday after the rookie minicamp."
Kluwe did not seem upset by the break up with the Vikings, sending out a series of tweets to break the news. "So long Minnesota and thanks for the fish! Thank you to all my fans, teammates and the Wilf family for the past 8.5 years. I wouldn't have traded it for anything. And thank you everyone for your support. Remember: one label does not define who you are as a person :)."
Kluwe has been extremely outspoken on the issues of gay rights, and to a lesser extent the NFL's policies on player safety. The Vikings said the decision to move on from Kluwe was purely football-related, but some believe the Vikings were motivated somewhat by Kluwe's outspoken nature and propensity for distraction.
"This is me," Kluwe said to The Star Tribune. "I pay attention to what goes on in the world, and I like to speak up when I see something."
Kluwe is quoted in a Deadspin.com article saying he will not change his tone or mute himself in an effort to land another punting job in the NFL.
"I think the sacrifice would be worth it," he said. "Now, I would hope that I would get the chance to play football again, because I think I can still play. But if it ends up being something that costs me that position, I think making people aware of an issue that is causing children to commit suicide is more important than kicking a leather ball."
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