Don Narcisse reflects on racism in America and on COVID-19

Don Narcisse is paying attention to the ongoing protests happening in the United States surrounding race and the murder of George Floyd.

“There’s some changes that really have to be made,” said Narcisse, 55. “It’s a lesson that a lot of people have to learn.”

The former Saskatchewan Roughriders wide receiver knows whereof he speaks. The product of Port Arthur, Texas can recall a run-in he had with police while he was working out at his mother-in-law’s house years ago.

“I was on the treadmill and stepped out of the gate and I was walking through the park and then this cop stopped me and put me in the back of the car and said somebody robbed this house and it was a black guy,” Narcisse said. “They took me around and the people had to come to the car to see that it wasn’t me.”

The homeowners confirmed Narcisse wasn’t the suspect, so he was let go. But Narcisse knows that situation could have been very different.

“What if they would’ve said yes and all I did was just walk?” he said. “I was walking through the park because I just got off the treadmill and I was going to work out some more.

“These little things happen. It’s something and I hope they just make changes. It’s everybody; everybody has to make changes. Everybody has a story.”

Narcisse said his mom raised him and his siblings to love people no matter their race — and a white family in Regina was the recipient of that love during Narcisse’s career with the CFL’s Roughriders.

When Narcisse initially arrived in Canada, a boy named Paul would always ask for the receiver’s autograph.

“It was (Paul’s) birthday and I said, ‘I’m going to go talk to your mom and see if I can take you out for your birthday.’ Next thing you know, I’m staying at their home while I’m playing,” said Narcisse, who stayed with that family in Regina from 1990 until 1999.

“It was unbelievable because I had a place to lay my head and I had a family to go to if I had a bad day.”

Narcisse’s mom, Dorothy, didn’t know much about the family Don was staying with, but she got a chance to meet them when she was brought up to Saskatchewan as a part of the celebration after Narcisse broke the CFL record for most consecutive games with a catch in 1995.

“When my mom got a chance to meet my Canadian mom, my mom did not know that my Canadian mom was white,” Narcisse said. “My mom was crying and thanked my Canadian mom for taking good care of her son because my mom was saying this would never happen in the United States.

“It’s a blessing that I got a chance to meet my Canadian family. They took me in. I wouldn’t be a Hall of Famer if they didn’t take me in because I was never alone.”

Even now, Narcisse said he has passed along the same advice he got as a kid to his own son.

“I have to have that conversation with him, ‘Hey, when you’re stopped by the cops, you’ve got to do this. You can’t have the music loud, you can’t have more than three people in the car,’ ” Narcisse said.

“I have to tell him all these little things: ‘If you get caught speeding, make sure if you get stopped you keep your hands on the steering wheel. We will fight the ticket no matter what.’ Those little things, that’s not normal for everybody.”

Narcisse’s family is also dealing with COVID-19, with his brother’s wife and his sister’s daughter both testing positive for the virus.

Narcisse said it’s important everyone remains cautious even if their area has a low number of cases. For Narcisse himself, he has been keeping his gloves and mask on.

“I’m a prime candidate — my immune system is low because I’ve had cancer. I’m 55 years old and it can happen to me if I don’t wear my mask, I don’t have my gloves on (or) if I don’t wash my hands,” said Narcisse, who was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2018.

“This is the new norm (with COVID-19). You’re going to have to wear your gloves (and) you’re going to have to wear your mask even if you don’t have it.”