Fujita made waves in October when he backed Baltimore Ravens linebacker Brendan Ayanbadejo's support for gay marriage. Now, with the spotlight on him for this Sunday's Super Bowl, the 30-year-old linebacker isn't backing down.
Do you worry about alienating fans for being so supportive of gay marriage?
I've found that every time I open my mouth about an issue that's unrelated to football, I alienate some people. But that's a risk I'm willing to take. Because for every piece of hate mail I've received for speaking out in support of gay marriage or for wanting to bring the troops home or for discussing the injustices of Japanese internment, there's a dozen people who either appreciate what I'm doing or who think about the issue in a different way.
I have never claimed to have all the answers ... still haven't met someone who does. But I have some strong opinions about things, especially when it comes to issues of prejudice and inequality. I also recognize that the platform I've been given as a professional athlete will be taken from under me once I leave this game, at which point no one will care to ask my opinion. So in the meantime, why not stand for something?
Going into this game, what do you believe gives the Saints the upper hand?
The Saints are on a mission. Words really can't express how proud we are to represent these people on the biggest stage there is. My wife, Jaclyn, sent me a text message the other day of a quote she read somewhere: "The people of New Orleans love the Saints not because they provide a distraction from their fall, but because they are a reflection of their rise." There is no place where the connection between a city and a team runs as deep as it does here in New Orleans.