Burgess Owens on ESPN’s Jemele Hill comments: My concern is 'black elitists'

Former NFL Super Bowl champion Burgess Owens on Friday reacted to ESPN anchor Jemele Hill’s social media attack on President Trump.

The controversy began on Monday when the “SportsCenter” co-host called President Trump a white supremacist and bigot in a tweet.

Burgess Owens told FOX Business he is using history as a lesson for the debate.

"I think as we learn our history, the reason why I can care less about the KKK or the white supremacists is I know my history,” Owens told Stuart Varney on Varney & Co. “My parents’ generation, my grandparents’ generation kicked the butt of these guys by succeeding. We led the country and the growth of the middle class after World War II… We were doing what we needed to do.”

Fears over black elitist influence in the black communities are having a bigger impact, in Owens opinion.

“My concern right now, are those, the black elitists...  that live the life of America. They have the great homes, the great education, and tell other black Americans they can’t do it. This to me is where the problem is,” he said. “I call them parasites because they suck the very heart and soul and hopes out of our black communities and leave nothing behind as they move on and live the American dream.”

More From FOX Business

Johnny Damon to ESPN’s Jemele Hill: Talk sports, not politics

Darryl Strawberry on ESPN's Jemele Hill: Rally and support President Trump

ESPN host is a ‘black supremacist,’ YouTube stars Diamond and Silk say

President Trump addressed the controversy on Friday with a tweet saying  Disney-owned (NYSE:DIS) ESPN is “paying a really big price for its politics.”

Owen puts the onus on black Conservative adults to guide America’s youth.

“So black America, conservative Americans,  coming to the aid, we are going to be there to make sure that our kids are these young men who become successful, understand what they do, how to give back and not take from our communities," he said.