K.C.’s Peters goes from troublemaker to social advocate
Shedding immature rep, cornerback is becoming one of the Chiefs’ leaders
One of the big knocks on cornerback Marcus Peters when he entered the NFL draft two years ago was that he carried a lot of unwelcome baggage from his time at the University of Washington.
He got into fights with assistant coaches. He boiled over during games. He ultimately got kicked out of the Huskies’ program when coach Chris Petersen decided he had seen enough.
In short, many believed Peters was juvenile and selfish.
That may be what made his protest of social injustice during the national anthem for the Kansas City Chiefs’ season opener last weekend even more surprising.
It was Peters who locked arms with his team in a sign of unity, then raised his gloved right fist for all to see.
“It’s not about attention for me,” he said after the game. “I’m more so: don’t talk about it, be about it. I come from a majority black community from Oakland, Calif.
“I’ve grown up around my people a lot. I still have family that struggles. I’m not saying one thing or another, but we need to educate youth coming up. If we keep educating them, we’ll eliminate these problems.”
That doesn’t exactly sound like someone who is juvenile and selfish. Sounds more like someone who has grown up.
Peters still harbours a hot streak, as evidenced by the jawing match he got into with San Diego Chargers wide receivers, but he has also learned to control his emotions between the white lines. That has made him one of the league’s premier defenders.
He had trouble keeping up with San Diego star Keenan Allen in the first half, but buckled down once Allen left with an injury and had a solid second half. He was a big reason why the Chiefs rallied to the biggest comeback in franchise history in a 33-27 overtime victory.
That after starting all 16 games as a rookie last season, picking off eight passes and returning two of them for touchdowns. Those efforts even earned him a spot in the Pro Bowl. It also earned him a unique leadership role as a secondyear player in a youthful secondary.
“My leadership role is, you just got to go out there and work as hard as you can to make those plays, and the rest will take care of itself,” he said. “We got a team full of leaders. Like I said, last year it makes my job that much easier if I don’t have to do too much — just play ball.”
Peters isn’t just playing ball, though. By taking a stance along- side 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick and many other professional athletes, Peters is thrusting himself squarely into the middle of a discussion that has captivated America.
He also knows raising awareness is one thing, and that objective has largely been accomplished. The crucial next step is taking that awareness and using it to produce positive change.
“We’re trying to help this cause as a team,” Peters said. “Everybody is going to play their part and we’re going to … work together to help improve the justice system in Kansas City and around the world.”
Exactly what that looks like remains to be seen. Perhaps it is meeting with local law enforcement or spending more time in the community. Education is a big part of it, Peters said, and getting positive messages to impressionable youth could make a difference.
One thing is clear: He has plenty of support in his locker-room.
“Some guys wanted to link arms. Some wanted to have their hand over the heart at the same time. We just wanted everyone to be able to express themselves however they wanted,” wide receiver Chris Conley said, “but we also wanted to be unified as a team while drawing attention to the issue.”
Asked what that might include, Conley said: “We’ve talked about meeting with police, first responders and people within the community to help mend relationships between residents and the police.”
The Chiefs have been supportive of the players’ stance, and head coach Andy Reid praised the way Peters went about things, pointing out that “this kid does a phenomenal job in the community.”
“There’s no question he’s all in,” Reid said.
“There’s no question he respects whatever — law enforcement, military. You don’t have to question that with his guy. He just wants what’s right, like we all do. I think that’s the important thing.”