LeGarrette Blount Says He Won't Go to White House to Honor Super Bowl LI Win

Running back LeGarrette Blount joins the list of New England Patriots who will not attend their Super Bowl LI celebration at the White House with President Donald Trump.

Blount announced his decision to skip the ceremony in Washington D.C. on Thursday's episode of The Rich Eisen Show. 

"I will NOT be going to the White House," Blount said, per The Rich Eisen Show's official Twitter account. "I don't feel welcome in that house. I'll leave it at that."

Since the Patriots' 34-28 overtime triumph over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, five players from the team have said they would not participate in the traditional ceremony at the White House that honors champions from the biggest sports organizations in the country.

Blount joins a list that also includes defensive end Chris Long, linebacker Dont'a Hightower, tight end Martellus Bennett and safety Devin McCourty. 

McCourty offered a similar explanation to Blount's for why he has decided to skip the trip, which has yet to be scheduled. 

"I'm not going to the White House," McCourty said in a text message to Sean Gregory of TIME. "Basic reason for me is I don't feel accepted in the White House. With the president having so many strong opinions and prejudices, I believe certain people might feel accepted there while others won't."

Hightower skipped the Patriots' last trip to the White House in 2015 when Barack Obama was still in office. Long announced on Twitter that he "planned on skipping" and wasn't asked by anyone to do so. 

Whenever the Patriots' trip to the White House gets scheduled, it will be the fifth time since 2000 that the franchise has been honored by the President of the United States for winning a Super Bowl.