A University of Northern Alabama football player has reportedly been kicked off the team after he sent out a racist tweet during President Barack Obama’s speech at a vigil for the victims of last week’s school massacre in Newtown, Connecticut.

While the president was speaking to the grieving residents of Newtown on Sunday night, DeadSpin noted that a number of football fans sent out insensitive tweets because the 49ers-Patriots game had been preempted by the speech.

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“Take that n*gger off the tv, we wanna watch football,” one Twitter user named Bradley Patterson wrote.

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Storified by David Edwards · Mon, Dec 17 2012 11:41:03

Take that nigger off the tv, we wanna watch football! @Hester52 @Ty_CoolerThanUBradley Patterson

The Birmingham News confirmed that Patterson had joined the UNA football team as an uninvited walk-on in the fourth week of the season.

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“Thx 2 everyone who brought the inappropriate tweet to our attention,” UNA Athletic Director Mark Linder tweeted later that evening. “@UNAAthletics does not condone. He is no longer a member of the team.”

It wasn’t immediately clear if the school would take additional disciplinary action and Patterson’s Twitter account has since been closed.

Watch this video from WFAA, broadcast Dec. 17, 2012.

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WAFF-TV: News, Weather and Sports for Huntsville, AL

[Photo: Twitter]