Riley Cooper Targeted in $1,000 Bounty Offered by Marcus Vick in Wake of Racial Slur
After news broke that Eagles player Riley Cooper shouted a racial epithet during a Kenny Chesney concert in June the brother of Eagles quarterback Michael Vick, Marcus, advertised a $1,000 bounty to anyone who lays Cooper out on the field.
"Hey I'm putting a bounty on Riley's head. 1k to the first free safety or strong safety that light his a** up! Wake him up please....," Marcus Vick posted to his Twitter account. It was deleted a short while later but not until several media outlets got word of the post.
The video of Cooper using the n-word surfaced Wednesday on the website CrossingBroad.com. Cooper issued a statement of apology then met with reporters outside the team's practice facility.
"This is the lowest of lows," Cooper said. "This is not the type of person I want to be portrayed as. This isn't the type of person I am. I'm extremely sorry."
Cooper said he was drinking when he directed the slur at an African-American security guard at the concert in June.
"That's no excuse for what I said. I don't use that term," he said. "I was raised better than that. I have a great mom and dad and they're disgusted with my actions."
Cooper, who is thought to be given a bigger role within the offense said he was fined a significant amount by the Eagles.
"We are shocked and appalled by Riley Cooper's words," Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie said in a statement. "This sort of behavior or attitude from anyone has no role in a civil society. He has accepted responsibility for his words and his actions. He has been fined for this incident."
The league also released the following statement: "The NFL stands for diversity and inclusion. Comments like this are wrong, offensive, and unacceptable."
A fifth-round pick out of Florida, Cooper is entering his fourth season in the NFL. He has 46 catches and five touchdowns in three years with the Eagles.