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George Floyd protests: Josh Heupel, Alex Morgan, Alex Martins and more sports leaders call for change

George Floyd’s death and protests nationwide prompted UCF football coach Josh Heupel, Orlando Pride star Alex Morgan, Orlando Magic CEO Alex Martins and many other Florida sports figures to call for change.

While some are longtime advocates for social justice reform, others are using their social media platforms to weigh in on the racial issues for the first time.

A white Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee into Floyd’s neck as he begged for air on May 25. Video captured the black man’s last gasps for air while Officer Derek Chauvin, 44, watched him lose consciousness, sparking protests in Central Florida and around the nation.