(LifeSiteNews) – The players’ union for the National Football League (NFLPA) has chosen to ignore a letter from the Health Freedom Defense Fund (HFDF) that calls for improved measures to help athletes who may have had an adverse reaction to the experimental COVID-19 vaccine.
“We wish to draw your attention to the potential implications of Damar Hamlin’s multiple cardiac arrests and the heart attacks and stroke of former NFL players Uche Nwaneri, Chris Baker, Jessie Lemonier (cause as yet unknown),” the group’s statement says. “These tragic events signal a need for the NFLPA to visit another possible health concern that has recently been documented in the scientific literature. Such health concerns could have potential immediate and long-term ramifications for the health and well-being of NFL players.”
“Our concern is heightened by a growing body of scientific evidence documenting elevated cardiac mortality, myopericarditis, and other cardiovascular events in young adult males post COVID-19 vaccination,” it adds.
#HFDF sent a letter to the #NFL Players Association requesting they determine whether players may have been adversely affected by the CO🦠ID-1️⃣9️⃣ va❌❌ines.𝑻𝒉𝒆 #𝑵𝑭𝑳𝑷𝑨 𝒉𝒂𝒔 𝒚𝒆𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒑𝒐𝒏𝒅. #damarhamlin #healthfreedom #medicalfreedom https://t.co/WTZpd3SR19 pic.twitter.com/TyCHctXgRx
— Health Freedom Defense Fund (@theHFDF) February 16, 2023
The HFDF successfully sued the Biden Administration over its draconian mask mandate for the airline industry in April of 2022. At the time, U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle, a Trump-appointee who previously clerked for conservative Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, threw out the Center for Disease Control’s directive on the matter, calling it “unlawful.” The HFDF was founded by Leslie Manookian.
DeMaurice Smith has served as Executive Director of the NFLPA since 2009, having previously acted as legal counsel to Eric Holder when he was the Deputy Attorney General in the Obama Administration. In 2018, Holder, by then out of office, told Democrats to “kick” their political opponents “when they go low.”
Smith has been criticized by NFL legend and Hall of Fame running back Eric Dickerson, who has called him “a bozo” who “sells the players out.”
Manookian’s letter, which was sent on January 27, urged Smith to call for a suspension of the COVID-19 shot until further assessments can be made. “The NFLPA [should] develop a set of functional medical protocols and treatments in order to address and heal any deleterious effects of the vaccines.”
In an email to LifeSiteNews, Manookian theorized that Smith’s unresponsiveness indicates he may not want the public to know the real dangers of the shot.
“It is clearly disappointing that the NFLPA chose to ignore our letter requesting a conversation about subclinical cardiac issues in players who received the COVID-19 vaccine as the science is clear that young males are at considerable increased risk of cardiovascular events subsequent to the injections,” she said.
“What is equally alarming is that a retired NFL player had also attempted to begin a conversation with the NFLPA on this very topic, but his request sadly went nowhere. Any thinking person must wonder why the NFLPA is shirking its responsibility to protect players by refusing to engage in dialogue and offer players a testing and screening protocol.”
“What do they have to lose? Or perhaps, the better question is what do they not want to know?” she wondered. “Make no mistake, their silence on this matter is not the end.”
The NFL has been one of the most aggressive vaccine-pushing professional sports leagues in the US. Currently, it touts a 95% player vaccination rate. At the same time, several high-profile players have courageously spoken out against the shot, including Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker, Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, and Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins. Butker, a devout Catholic who attends the Traditional Latin Mass, kicked the game-winning 27-yard field goal in this year’s Super Bowl with 8 seconds remaining. After the game, Butker said he gives “all glory to God” for the victory.