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Jerry Rice apologizes, says he didn’t know meaning of ‘Black Lives Matter’

Jerry Rice speaks during a ceremony honoring him in Jackson, Miss., last month. (Elijah Baylis/The Clarion-Ledger, via AP)

Jerry Rice, the Hall of Fame wide receiver, apologized for creating a social media storm with his “All Lives Matter” tweet in August and, in the process, probably created another.

Rice tweeted his apology Wednesday night, writing, “When I said {All Lives Matter} I didn’t know about the movement going on between {Black Lives Matter}. I want to apologize for my mistake!”

This comes a little over a month after he found himself at the center of a controversy for writing in a since-deleted tweet that he respected San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick for taking a stance against racism but didn’t condone protesting the national anthem. His use of the phrase “All Lives Matter,” words considered racist by many and often used to counter “Black Lives Matter” protests, created a stir.

“All lives matter. So much going on in this world today,” Rice wrote at the time. “Can we all just get along! Colin, I respect your stance but don’t disrespect the flag.”

Response to the latest tweet by Rice, whose best playing days were with the 49ers, is mixed, with most focusing on the part about not knowing about Black Lives Matter.

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