Buffalo Bills safety Jordan Poyer has called off a celebrity charity golf event at one of former President Donald Trump’s golf courses following what he said were “external pressures.”
“Unfortunately, the location of the event led to a few sponsors and golfers withdrawing at the last minute due to external pressures,” said Poyer. “While it’s disappointing, I respect their decision.
“Nevertheless, we will persevere. Next offseason, we will host this event with unwavering dedication, ensuring that it remains free from any external distractions. I extend my heartfelt gratitude to all of you.”
In a video accompanying the Instagram post, in addition to announcing the cancelation, the NFL player lamented the partisan state of affairs in the United States.
He blasted people’s egos getting in the way of the annual fundraiser.
“I hope that we could get past that and it seemed we did, but we haven’t,” Poyer said.
“It seems like our egos get in the way of being a good human being: sharing love, sharing conversations, sharing laughter with people who may not believe in the same things that you do. It’s a huge problem in America right now.”
“Our egos are taking over the majority of our lives,“ he said. ”A lot of us don’t even know who we are anymore. We’re run by that ego self, run by the materialistic side, run by the things that don’t really matter.”
Poyer went on to talk about the importance of using his celebrity for good.
“I say this all the time to the people around me, I literally chase a ball for a living. Don’t get me wrong. I love doing it. But this life I have been given, this life we have all been given, is more than just chasing a ball around,” said the Bills’ safety, who lives in South Florida in the offseason.
“It’s trying to impact people’s lives in ways that I never could have fathomed that I could. I love doing it,” he said. “I love going to see Gabby at the hospital who had been paralyzed by a drunk driver. … the smile that she has when I walk in there.”
Poyer talked about connecting with those who are from diverse backgrounds.
“To think 20 years ago that I could make someone smile by just walking into a room. I can put my ego away any day of the week to go to help somebody who might be white, Black, Asian, Puerto Rican, Dominican, believe in this, believe in that … I honestly could because it’s about more than me,” he said.
“It’s helping others. It’s sharing those experiences and about being open about we’re not perfect,” he continued. “Nobody is perfect…. The thing is we need each other. We are we arguing over (stuff) that does not matter?”
Poyer called out Buffalo hospital ECMC for withdrawing its sponsorship of the event.
“They decided they didn’t want to take part in my tournament in which they took part in last year because of where it’s at, at Trump National Doral in South Florida,” Poyer said.
“ECMC decided they can no longer take the pressure from up top, from the people above them and it probably has nothing to do with ECMC at all.”
The cancelation is not the first at a Trump property. The PGA of America severed ties with Trump in 2021 following the Jan. 6 breach of the U.S. Capitol, as the PGA Championship is no longer held at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey. And Trump’s Turnberry resort in Scotland will not host The Open Championship, according to the Royal and Ancient (R&A) Golf Club of St Andrews.
