CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — Professional athletes in general, and NFL stars in particular, are used to being the centers of attention. Even they, however, don’t always anticipate how much power their presence and voices really pack.
This week, the Players Coalition resumed lending their voices and platforms to criminal justice reform, and they saw state legislators, local and national community leaders and academic experts take notice, in large numbers and to quick effect.
"When we come, we come with camera crews, we come with the news. We bring attention that helps make things happen sooner rather than later," Patriots safety Devin McCourty said Friday. The day before, he had been part of a group of current and former NFL players and officials of the ACLU who met with Massachusetts legislators at the state house in Boston.
The state senate has been debating a bill mandating major changes in juvenile incarceration … and by all accounts, the advocacy and presence of the athletes pushed the reforms closer to approval.
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McCourty also spent Friday at a day-long criminal justice reform symposium at Harvard Law School. Amid an esteemed gathering that included Philadelphia district attorney Larry Krasner and Massachusetts juvenile court judge Gloria Tan, the NFL players were often the focus. Four of them — McCourty, Anquan Boldin, Malcolm Jenkins and Demario Davis — made up the keynote panel on athletes and activism. Also attending were Ravens defensive end Carl Davis and several retired players who are active in the coalition. Boldin also appeared on a panel with experts to discuss improved policing.
Malcolm Jenkins and Anquan Boldin at Harvard Law School’s criminal justice reform symposium (Photo courtesy of Harvard Law School)
All the players insisted they were at the symposium to do more listening than talking. Still, they not only recognized how much they were listened to, but those around them acknowledged how much knowledge they already brought and how far they pushed the conversation forward.
"We're in a unique time in our country," Boldin, the former wide receiver and Coalition co-founder, said during a workshop on bail reform. “In the athlete community, there is a discovery of the power of our voices. Guys aren't afraid to challenge those who are in position to make decisions."
That has been proven with the Coalition’s continued improved relations with NFL team owners. Besides the league’s reported $100 million commitment to the players’ causes agreed upon after often-contentious meetings last season, McCourty pointed out that some owners have acted on their own, directly because of the players’ push to get them engaged.
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McCourty co-authored an op-ed piece last month in the Boston Globe with Patriots owner Robert Kraft and president Jonathan Kraft advocating for juvenile justice reform. The younger Kraft, McCourty told the panelists at a workshop on the school-to-prison pipeline, admitted he was unaware of the extent of the problem before McCourty and other players brought it to their attention.
Boldin and Jenkins previously had led player delegations to Congress on similar issues. While Jenkins and other players have directly connected with city and state lawmakers before, this week represented a larger push for coalition members to reach out through every level of government, not just the very top. On Monday, Davis, the longtime Jets linebacker signed earlier this month by the Saints, visited the New York state capitol on the same topics.
Demario Davis at Harvard Law School’s criminal justice reform symposium (Photo courtesy of Harvard Law School)
Davis’ change of teams, meanwhile, served as a reminder that the business of the NFL tended to aid their cause of having players engaged on as many teams as possible. Torrey Smith, who teamed with Jenkins in coalition activities with the Eagles last season, is another example. He was traded to the Panthers last week, his fourth team, meaning there is a new group of players he can entice into being more active.
"I'm excited about it," Davis said. "There’s a lot of momentum coming out of New York from people who have seen what we’ve done there, and there are people in New Orleans who are looking forward to using the platform to advocate on their behalf."
Which means NFL players could be in the halls of another state house or university before long, with attentive audiences waiting.