Lynch teams with Dr. Fauci to urge vaccinations

We just couldn’t let this stuff go …

During Marshawn Lynch’s 12 NFL seasons he earned a reputation for his fearless style on the field, while remaining one of the league’s most reclusive figures off the field, writes Kyle Hightower of The Associated Press.

Now the retired running back is lending his voice to try to help members of Black and Hispanic communities make more informed decisions about receiving COVID-19 vaccines.

And he’s enlisted the assistance of the nation’s top infectious disease specialist to do it.

Lynch released a 30-minute interview with Dr. Anthony Fauci on his YouTube channel Friday, becoming the latest prominent athlete to sit down with him to discuss the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines as the U.S. continues to combat the pandemic.

Since hanging up his cleats following the 2019 season, the 34-year-old Lynch has stayed entrenched in his native Oakland community through his Fam 1st Family Foundation, which has spearheaded several educational and philanthropic initiatives to assist residents.

Lynch (above) himself hasn’t been vaccinated and he pointed out to Fauci that distrust in his community remains high regarding vaccine safety.

“When it comes to the government giving back to communities that look like me, we don’t seem to be on the well-received end of those situations,” Lynch told Fauci during the interview, which was recorded late last month. “It gets to the point where it’s almost like a gamble.”

Campaigns aimed at Black communities across the U.S. are making headway in the effort to persuade people the COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective.

A poll by The AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research in March found that about 24 percent of Black American adults said they will probably or definitely not get vaccinated. That’s down from 41 percent in January. The latest number shows Black Americans leaning against getting shots in almost the same proportion as white Americans at 26 percent and Hispanic Americans at 22 percent.

Fauci said it’s a reluctance he understands well in the Black and Hispanic community.

“The reluctance you express is a reluctance that’s founded in historical reality,” Fauci said. “So how do we get past that?...We don’t want African-Americans in the community to not have the advantage of the protection of something that really works because of history.”

Trivia question

Happy birthday to former Chargers quarterback Marty

Domres, who turns 75 today. Domres was taken in the first round of the 1969 NFL Draft out of Columbia. Some pretty good players were taken later in the first round, including Fred Dryer (13th), Gene Washington (16th) and Calvin Hill (14th). But there was one Hall of Famer taken later than Domres in the first round, a defensive back who had 40 career interceptions and was a seven-time Pro Bowler. Who was it?

They said it

Lynch, at Super Bowl XLIX media day, with his famous quote that he later trademarked: “I’m just here so I won’t get fined.”

Trivia answer

The St. Louis Cardinals took Roger Wehrli with the 19th overall pick. Wehrli is also a member of the NFL’s 1970s All-Decade team.

COMPILED BY BOYCE GARRISON