Eagles stars make even bigger impact off field
Jenkins, Long fight social injustices
MINNEAPOLIS – Malcolm Jenkins figured there could be a week like this. Sure, the Philadelphia Eagles safety will be a pivotal player in the biggest game of the season. But on the grand stage of Super Bowl LII, his presence could blow up as one of the NFL’s most prominent social activists.
Talk about having a platform. Jenkins has had a Pro Bowl season for one of the league’s best defenses. But face it, he’s had so much more impact while bringing awareness to a mission to reform the criminal justice system — and with more than 5,000 credentialed media in tow, he will be one of the most visible players this side of Tom Brady amid the hype leading up to Super Sunday.
Jenkins has carried the spirit that Colin Kaepernick ignited in NFL circles in 2016, fed up by societal inequalities that can be measured largely along racial lines. Jenkins is engaged with lawmakers and has been outspoken while embracing a role that makes him just as likely to explain how there are scores of people sitting in jails for alleged non-violent offenses because they can’t afford bail as he is discussing nuances of New England’s passing attack.
“It’s just funny how in society, if we were to talk about any other topic, it usually wouldn’t be as conflicting,” Jenkins told USA TODAY after an Eagles practice last week in Philadelphia.
“But once you start talking about black issues — issues of poverty or racism — and now that’s like the ‘ distraction.’ What we’ve been able to do in this locker room, in particular, is to do it in a way where people can hear what we’re saying but also take care of our business.”
It’s fitting that the Eagles are here, capping a season that has been punctuated by protests and reaction to protests — most notably from Donald Trump — that has forced the NFL to get on board and support players committed to social causes.
Jenkins and Chris Long, the defensive end who donated his entire $1 million base salary to educational initiatives, were the two Eagles among a group of players who met with Commissioner Roger Goodell and several NFL owners in October as the league reeled amid another crisis revolving around the national anthem protests. With so many passionate emotions in the mix, players such as Jenkins have proved that the “stick to sports” dictum is passé when they feel responsibility to a larger society.
Jenkins is quick to acknowledge how uncomfortable the protests make some people. (Rather than kneel, his personal anthem protest consists of raising his fist in a “Black Power” gesture.) But he sees a necessary cause, given societal issues that are “important to the players who play this game, important to their families, their communities.”
Long similarly views his actions through a wide lens. His first six game checks funded scholarships for the boarding school, St. Anne’s-Bellfield, that he attended in his hometown, Charlottesville, Va. The remainder of his 2017 game checks went toward his Pledge 10 for Tomorrow campaign, benefiting schools in St. Louis, Philadelphia and Boston, the three NFL cities he’s called home.
“Sometimes, I fall into the cynical trap with everybody else in the world,” Long told USA TODAY. “Everybody seems to be pretty cynical. So I was worried that people would just question it: ‘Are you doing it for the right reason? Are you doing it for publicity?’ But people have really been excited about it, which made me feel it is worthwhile.”
Some of the feedback even came from Barack Obama, who praised Long on Twitter.
The morning after a Monday night victory in October, Long and Eagles wideout Torrey Smith hopped on a train with Jenkins headed for Harrisburg, Pa., where they lobbied at the state capitol for the proposed Clean Slate Act, which would seal records after 10 years for persons convicted on non-violent misdemeanors.
Is any of this an extra burden? Jenkins doesn’t think so. For all the time management and compartmentalizing involved with balancing football and social activism, he’s buoyed by his teammates’ support. Backing from Long, who grew up privileged as the son of Raiders Hall of Famer Howie Long, is more significant because of his skin color. He’s one of the few white players demonstrating the same passion for societal change as so many African-American players.
“I would’ve felt guilty that I knew the right thing to do and I didn’t do it,” said Long, who initially garnered attention for putting his arm on Jenkins’ shoulder during the anthem.
Long was also quick to condemn the activities of white supremacists in Charlottesville in August, which led to rioting and the death of a protester.
“The right thing to do is to enter the conversation,” he said. “It’s not a conversation for everyone. I hate using that word — ‘conversation’ — because it’s not just a conversation. We need action.”
Jenkins knows. He was moved by the tragedies during the summer of 2016, when unarmed African-American men Alton Sterling and Philando Castile were shot to death by police. Later, five Dallas police officers were slain during an ambush at a protest rally.
“I just got so tired of the normal social media and the hashtags,” Jenkins said. “So I decided to get involved. And the more involved I got, the more I realized I can help.”
That’s a worthy message, especially this week against the backdrop of a rather important game.