Jordan Poyer speaks out after charity event gets nixed
Buffalo Bills Pro Bowl Safety Jordan Poyer explains how the event at the Trump golf course caused controversy on 'America Reports.'
Buffalo Bills safety Jordan Poyer announced Friday his celebrity charity golf event at Trump National Doral in Florida is back on after the event was canceled following backlash.
Poyer joined Fox News’ "America Reports" Friday to announce the news.
"The great news is that the tournament is going to happen," Poyer said. "We had the most amount of tremendous support around the country. We had a sponsor — PublicSq — based right out here in Florida … they’re going to sponsor the entire tournament.
"And the tournament is actually happening July 10 at the same exact place."
BILLS' JORDAN POYER CANCELS CELEBRITY CHARITY GOLF EVENT AT TRUMP COURSE AFTER BACKLASH
Jordan Poyer of the Buffalo Bills leads the pregame huddle against the Kansas City Chiefs at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium Oct. 16, 2022, in Kansas City, Mo. (Cooper Neill/Getty Images)
Avalon Sports, Poyer’s representatives, released a statement shortly after his appearance announcing the re-scheduling of the tournament.
"We would like to inform the general public and media outlets that the Jordan Poyer Celebrity Open has been resumed and is scheduled to take place on July 10 at the Blue Monster course in Doral Florida," Avalon Sports said in a statement.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON foxnews.1eye.us
"We are grateful to announce that PublicSq will be our presenting sponsor for this year’s edition. We also want to highlight the outpouring of support that we have received from professional athletes, the general public, businesses and charitable organizations across the country. In the next couple of days, we will announce our athlete and celebrity lineup."
TikTok star Snappy Gilmore high-fives AFC strong safety Jordan Poyer of the Buffalo Bills prior to the Long Drive event at the Bear's Best Golf Course Feb. 1, 2023, in Las Vegas. (Michael Owens/Getty Images)
Avalon Sports initially announced the cancellation of the tournament over the weekend, saying the event would be rescheduled for next year.
"PublicSq is proud to partner with Jordan Poyer. We’re glad to see he’s standing against the cancel-culture mob that tried to shut down this charity event, and we will always support freedom-loving Americans like Jordan whenever there is an opportunity to do so," Michael Seifert, founder and CEO of PublicSq, told Fox News Digital in a statement.
Poyer took to Instagram over the weekend to announce the cancellation of the tournament due to teams and a sponsor pulling out due to the location of the event.
Jordan Poyer of the Buffalo Bills warms up prior to an AFC divisional playoff game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Highmark Stadium Jan. 22, 2023, in Orchard Park, N.Y. (Bryan M. Bennett/Getty Images)
"Unfortunately, there have been numerous amounts of teams from up north that have pulled out, not just out of the tournament but also wrote emails to a big sponsor that was going to help sponsor my tournament," Poyer said in his Instagram video. "And that company now, it’s unfortunate that they have pulled out and decided that they don’t want to take part in my tournament in which they took part in last year, because of where it’s at. At the Trump National in Doral.
"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."
Susan Gonzalez, an ECMC Foundation spokesperson, told The Buffalo News the organization was the beneficiary of the event and not the sponsor.
Buffalo Bills safety Jordan Poyer (21) and Buffalo Bills cornerback Kaiir Elam (24) celebrate before a game against the Los Angeles Rams Sept. 8, 2022, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif. (Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
"ECMC Foundation was fortunate to be a beneficiary of Jordan Poyer’s golf tournament in Florida," Gonzalez told the outlet. "Although the foundation was not a sponsor, we have had an excellent partnership with Jordan, and we respect his decision to cancel his tournament; we hope he will consider supporting us in his future events."
Friday's announcement stated that the proceeds of the tournament will benefit the ECMC Foundation.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
"Our commitment with them remains intact, and we look forward to continuing working together to help improve the lives of those in need," the statement concluded.
Poyer has been with the Bills since 2017. He signed a two-year extension with Buffalo in the offseason. He was an All-Pro first team selection in 2021 and a Pro Bowler in 2022. Last season, he had 63 tackles and four interceptions.
Fox News' Ryan Gaydos contributed to this report
Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox