Vikings RB Alexander Mattison spoke out against social media hate. Now he’s calling for change.

Alexander Mattison noticed the direct messages pouring in last week shortly after the Vikings’ 34-28 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. The racial slurs directed at Mattison got to him in the moment, as did the calls for him to commit suicide for his performance on the field.

Talking to reporters on Monday at TCO Performance Center, Mattison said it felt as if he was being kicked while he was down. He added that he talked to teammate C.J. Ham for awhile after receiving the messages, then ultimately decided to go public as a way to raise awareness about the vitriol so many players deal with on a daily basis.

“This (expletive) is unacceptable,” Mattison posted on Instagram last week while displaying a couple of the messages from fake accounts. “Under my helmet, I am a human, a father, a son.”

As much as Mattison expressed gratitude for the love he received in the aftermath, he also called for change, noting that nobody should ...