Bronco Mendenhall: Virginia Players 'Stand United' Amid Charlottesville Unrest

University of Virginia head football coach Bronco Mendenhall said Tuesday the Cavaliers "stand united" in a way he hopes can "inspire" the community following violence in Charlottesville over the weekend involving white supremacists and counter-protesters.

Mendenhall said he didn't hear about the possibility of a negative impact on the program from any members of the active roster or potential future recruits, per ESPN.com. Instead, he's hoping his players can showcase the positives of embracing diversity.

"They stand united, embracing the differences and respecting the difference and valuing the differences," the UVA coach said.

He added: "We would like to help our team inspire and teach and perform in a way that will bring the community together."

Holly Yan, Devon M. Sayers and Steve Almasy of CNN reported three people died during a "Unite the Right" rally in Charlottesville: Heather Heyer, who was killed when a car drove into a crowd counter-protesting the event, as well as H. Jay Cullen and Berke M.M. Bates, two state troopers killed in a helicopter crash.

"They get out of bed every day to hate people and divide our country," Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe said, before adding: "Let's be honest, they need to leave America, because they are not Americans."

Meanwhile, Mendenhall told reporters he didn't receive as much feedback as he expected about the situation, in part because people involved with the program understand the details.

"I was expecting more concern, but most of them are realizing that this is happening from people that are coming in from outside our city and leaving, ... that won't necessarily be their neighbors and their fans," he said, per ESPN.com. "No recruits have said they're no longer coming, no parents are saying they're no longer coming."

On Monday, Virginia Football posted a picture showing members of the program seated with arms locked on campus:

The Cavaliers are scheduled to open the 2017 regular season with a home game against William & Mary at Scott Stadium in Charlottesville on Sept. 2.