Sheldon Richardson supports Missouri football players' protest of school president

Former Missouri star Sheldon Richardson expressed support for a group of black football players at his alma mater who are calling for the university's president to resign.

"I am dealing with my own issues at the moment, but I am proud of those guys for staying together," the Jets defensive tackle said after Sunday's 28-23 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars.

"And as far as Tim [Wolfe], he does need to go," he said of the school president. "That's just my opinion on it."

The uproar stems from the belief by some students that Wolfe has not properly addressed issues of racism on campus.

On Saturday, it was announced that more than 30 football players plan to boycott team activities and games until Wolfe is removed from office, and Tigers coach Gary Pinkel voiced his support the following day.

"The Mizzou family stands as one. We are united. We are behind our players," Pinkel tweeted on Sunday.

In a statement released Sunday, Wolfe addressed the concerns of students but didn't say if he plans to resign.

Richardson, the NFL's 2013 Defensive Rookie of the Year and 2014 Pro Bowler, told reporters that one of the reasons he attended Missouri was its family atmosphere. But he also hinted that he dealt with similar issues while on campus.

"I most definitely support those guys' cause," said Richardson, who played two seasons for the Tigers. "I hope they do stick together. And when game time does come, if this decision hasn't been made, hopefully they stick true to their word . . . Some stuff happened back then when I was there, but I don't need to go into detail about it. I got my own problems."

Richardson, 24, was suspended for the first four games of the 2015 season for violating the league's substance abuse policy. Two weeks after the league announced the suspension, he was arrested in Missouri on July 14 for resisting arrest after he was clocked driving as fast as 143 mph with a 12-year-old in the car.