ST. LOUIS — As the country continues to talk more openly about racial injustice, more and more stories are coming to light.
Recently, Cardinals hall of fame shortstop Ozzie Smith shared a story about a time he was racially profiled during a traffic stop.
Now, another Cardinals star of the '90s has a story to share.
On Tuesday, former Cardinals outfielder and NFL safety Brian Jordan shared his story with 5 On Your Side sports director Frank Cusumano, on Frank's radio show on 590 The Fan KFNS.
Jordan recalls a time he and fellow Cardinals star Ray Lankford were pulled over in the early '90s.
"My rookie year in St. Louis I remember... You have community service duties to do as a player. Myself and Ray Lankford were asked to judge a contest at this event. My dad had come into town so I was excited to see my dad. I told my dad to take my car home and I'd meet him at home after I judged this contest with Ray. So Ray and I judged this contest and we left at 10:30 or 11 o'clock and I was headed back home. We made a left turn and we were pulled over. The officer never really told us what we did wrong. The first thing he said was, 'who's car is this?' And it was Ray's... I think back then it was a Nissan 300 Z. So we got pulled over and were never told what we did wrong and I was trying to calm Ray down... and I just politely said, 'Excuse me officer can you tell us what we did wrong?' This was right after the Rodney King situation so it was sort of a scary situation. So I politely asked the officer what we did wrong, because he never told us, and he told me to get out of the car and I got arrested. It was unbelievable," Jordan said "So I asked him, 'Why are you arresting me?' And he looked at me and said, 'You're mouthy.'"
To listen to the entire interview with Brian Jordan, click here
Jordan said the words his dad shared with him after the incident stuck with him.
"You can imagine that. Me, just graduated from college trying to do the right things in my life and that situation just brought all the anger in the world. I remember going down to the station and that officer asking me questions, which he knew who I was. It was humiliating, riding in the back of a police car, with my head down. Just a terrible situation. I went home to my dad that night just crying in anger and he looked at me and said, 'Hey, you're in the spotlight now. You're under the microscope. Just imagine what Hank Aaron and those guys went through.' And it really put a new perspective on it," Jordan said.
Jordan told Cusumano the police chief had told him the incident wouldn't hit the news, but when Jordan woke up the next day his wife was calling him saying it was all over on ESPN. Jordan said the story had said Lankford had been arrested for soliciting prostitutes and Jordan had bailed him out.
"Imagine that. You got a wife and kids at home, you did absolutely nothing wrong and you have to wake up to the media saying Ray Lankford got arrested for soliciting prostitutes," Jordan said.
But that wasn't the only experience Jordan had with being profiled.
"So I had a bitter taste in my mouth, and then the very next day I ride home in my apartment complex, I go from stop sign to stop sign.. and you can't speed from stop sign to stop sign at an apartment complex, and I get pulled over again. And the first thing that came out of the officer's mouth was, 'who's car is this?' And I have a rented car, a loaner car with the sticker still in the window. It was a terrible experience. Welcome to St. Louis I guess. But, you know we see that all around the country," Jordan said.
