League to support archive

HistoryMakers to have film access

The NFL and NFL Films will donate footage to The HistoryMakers, which has grown to become the nation’s largest African American video oral history archive.

Under terms of the agreement announced Wednesday, the NFL will provide two years of funding to The HistoryMakers along with hundreds of hours of footage from interviews with NFL African American players, including dozens of Pro Football Hall of Famers.

NFL Films will provide production services to interview prominent players for inclusion to The HistoryMakers archives which is housed permanently at the Library of Congress.

“We feel a deep debt of gratitude to the NFL and NFL Films for this incredible gift as this level of commitment will help move The HistoryMakers sports initiative forward in ways that we need and previously could not have imagined,” said Julieanna Richardson, founder and president of The HistoryMakers.

Colts

Starting safety Khari Willis announced that he is retiring after three seasons in the NFL to pursue a future in ministry. He finishes his career with 219 tackles and four interceptions while starting 33 out of the 39 games he played in.

Commanders

Coach Ron Rivera expressed optimism that a deal would get done with holdout receiver Terry McLaurin, adding that the team is not going to trade its top wideout just because nothing has been signed yet. McLaurin’s rookie contract expires after the season.

Elsewhere

Washington owner Dan Snyder informed the House Oversight Committee that he won’t testify at its June 22 hearing, saying he would be out of the country, but NFL commissioner Roger Goodell will testify, a league spokesperson said. It had been expected that Snyder would decline to testify. Attorney Karen Patton Seymour said Snyder was willing to testify but that the committee “is not willing to consider changing the date of the hearing.”