Matt Nagy proud that Bears players addressed uniform controversy in video

Days before the Bears published a video addressing the fact that their new throwback jerseys harken to a time when African American players weren’t allowed in the league, chairman George McCaskey addressed the team himself.

Last week, he explained the history — African American players were banned in the league from 1934-45, and the Bears didn’t have an African American player until 1952 — and told the players, cornerback Prince Amukamara said, that grandfather George S. Halas “wasn’t a bigot or racist.”

McCaskey took questions from players and told them they might be asked about the uniforms by the media this week. The controversy had already appeared in stories by Jack Silverstein in August and in an editorial that Rev. Jesse Jackson wrote for the Sun-Times earlier this month.

The resulting conversation among the players — and the five-man social-justice committee’s decision to film a video with McCaskey acknowledging the history — has brought the team closer together, coach Matt Nagy said Wednesday.

“It’s powerful to me,” Nagy said. “I think it’s something that just we as an organization, as a team, it speaks volumes to who we are. I think it’s a special moment for all of us. I think it’s a special moment for them to be able to — for all of us to be able to — talk about it and collaborate about this. And, you know, it’s just something of unity. It’s who we are. And I’m proud of our guys for doing it.”

The Bears will wear their striped uniforms — which were unveiled in June to commemorate their 100th season — Sunday against the Vikings and again in December against the Cowboys.

Nagy was asked if the jerseys were appropriate.

“I think the reason why we’re wearing them and then how we’re handling everything right now, absolutely,” Nagy said. “I think it’s a very positive story on a lot of different fronts, and so that’s where that’s at.”

The Bears’ Twitter account posted the video at 9:30 p.m. Tuesday — curious timing, were the team looking for attention. But spokesman Brandon Faber said it marked the time the team began to look ahead to the Vikings game. The video, shot last week, was posted at night because that’s when the editing process was completed, Faber said.

Quarterback Mitch Trubisky said a committee member first brought up the issue. The group — made up of quarterback Chase Daniel, tight end Trey Burton, defensive lineman Akiem Hicks, linebacker Danny Trevathan and himself — “wanted to be ahead of the story,” Trubisky said.

Amukamara said there’s “no pushback whatsoever” to wearing the uniforms, while running back Tarik Cohen said most players didn’t know about the history until McCaskey addressed it.

“I’m just proud to be one of the first African Americans to put the jersey on,” Cohen said.

Some of Sunday’s game-worn jerseys will be auctioned off for social-justice causes picked by players.

“I can’t control what happened back in the day,” Trevathan said. “It’s an honor and a privilege to go out here and wear it. Represent it well.”