North Cook News

Former NFL running back Rashard Mendenhall recently used racially charged language in reference to “average white guy” NFL fans in a recent post on X.

Mendenhall suggested “All-Black vs. All-White bowl” noting he was tired of whites analyzing football games.

“I’m sick of average white guys commenting on football. Y’all not even good at football. Can we please replace the Pro Bowl with an All-Black vs. All-White bowl so these cats can stop trying to teach me who’s good at football. I’m better than ur goat,” Mendenhall said on X.

Rashard Mendenhall fumble in Super Bowl XLV. | X / Michael C. Markert

Mendenhall, 36, is a former first round draft pick who played in the NFL for six seasons from 2008 to 2013 for the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Arizona Cardinals following an undergraduate career at the University of Illinois.

The Skokie native attended Niles West High School and Lincoln Jr. High.

Mendenhall’s best season came in 2010 when he rushed for 1,273 yards and 13 touchdowns.  

That season ended with the Steelers posting a record of 14-2 and going to Super Bowl XLV which they lost to the Green Bay Packers with a score of 31-25.

Mendenhall coughed up a pivotal fumble in the loss.

He was quickly lampooned for his comments

“I’m sick of average RBs fumbling the ball away in the most important game they’ll ever play but I guess we both won’t get what we want Rashard,” MinkahBurgh Steelers said on X.

Michael C. Markert referenced the play and included a screenshot of the fumble.

“Remember when the Steelers lost the Super Bowl because of what Clay Matthews did to you?” Markert said on X.

X user Who da lee who noted the race of Matthews, who is white.

“Funny and ironic how it was a White Guy that made you fumble,” Who da lee said on X.

In 2012 Mendenhall was suspended by the Steelers for not showing up to a game after being deactivated due to inconsistent play.

This is not the first time Mendenhall has elevated racially motivated language on social media.

In 2019 he called former teammate, Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger a “racist” after Roethlisberger had a public disagreement with former teammate wide receiver Antonio Brown.

"Alright, I'll end the mystery...B's racist and @AB84 (Brown) is black. He had to catch balls from a racist quarterback. Every honest player knows it, it's not a big deal. He was just supposed to take his lickings and move on, like a slave for real."

After retiring from the NFL Mendenhall turned his attention to media, becoming a writer for HBO’s “Ballers’ TV Series in 2015, of which he is credited with writing 30 episodes.

"Rashard just had a different point of view than other players we talked to," Baller’s executive producer Evan Reilly said of selecting Mendenhall to write for the series, according to Men's Journal. "He's so thoughtful and introspective and curious, and he's got real creativity."