• About
  • DeSean Jackson: Home Team Premiered June 30, 2015
    • DeSean Jackson: Home Team Premiere
  • ‘All Eyez on Me’
  • DeSean Jackson – Press Conference – Pancreatic Cancer Awareness
    • Desean Jackson Profile: His Dad Believed in NFL Destiny All Along
    • Eagles’ DeSean Jackson Fans to Help Raise Awareness for Pancreatic Cancer
    • The Bright Side: DeSean Jackson
  • DeSean Jackson: ‘Shop With A Jock’ Event
    • 2018 DeSean Jackson Foundation Shop With a Jock Hosts A Kid’s Place of Tampa Bay
  • DeSean Jackson Foundation Partners with First Book Literacy Initiative
    • DJF: National Young Readers’ Week at Yorkshire Elementary, Manassas, VA
  • Pancreatic Cancer – Our Purpose, Our Passion
  • What is Pancreatic Cancer?
  • “Purple Out” – Pancreatic Cancer Awareness
    • DeSean Jackson Foundation: Purple Awareness Campaign – East TN Crusaders
    • DeSean Jackson Foundation: Purple Awareness Campaign – Smyth Co. Public Schools
    • Fenton High Students ‘ Purple Out for Pancreatic Cancer Awareness
    • Fenton Student Council: Second Annual Purple Out
    • Fenton Students’ Persistence Convinced Philadelphia Eagles Star to ‘Purple Out’ for Pancreatic Cancer
    • DeSean Jackson: Teamed Up with Cinnaminson High for Inaugural Purple Out
  • Anti-Bullying Campaign
    • DeSean Jackson Delivers Anti-Bullying Message at Dogwood Elementary, Reston, VA
    • DeSean Jackson, of Washington Redskins, Takes Anti-Bullying Message to St. Andrew’s Episcopal School
    • Nadin Khoury, Bullied Pennsylvania Teen, Meets DeSean Jackson on “The View”
  • Bill Jackson Project: The Making of a Father’s Dream
    • A Father’s Day Tribute to My Pops!
    • Bill Jackson Project – Private Screening
    • Bryon Jackson Showcases His Brother’s Career, Pays Tribute to Dad
    • Gayle Jackson: Her Perspective on The Bill Jackson Story and Her Son
    • Happy Fathers’ Day Pops! …..We Did It!!!
    • E:60 Extra: DeSean Jackson
  • DeSean Jackson Youth Football and Fitness Camps
    • DeSean Jackson F.A.S.T. Camp – June 5th – Washington, DC – Was Awesome!
    • DeSean Jackson holds Youth Camp at Vacaville Christian School
    • DeSean Jackson Youth Camp with Crenshaw Colts
    • DeSean Jackson Youth Camp, East High, Salt Lake City, UT
    • DeSean Jackson and Dwayne Frampton Camp – Bakersfield, CA
    • DeSean Jackson Partners with D.C. State Athletic Association to Host Youth Football Camp
  • Galas and Events
    • 2015 Congressional Football Game: DeSean Jackson Coin Toss
    • 2015 DeSean Jackson Foundation Inaugural Golf Outing – Photos
    • DeSean Jackson Foundation Celebrity Golf Tournament, June 6, 2015
    • 2015 DeSean Jackson Foundation D.C. Youth Football Camp – Photos
  • Health Fairs & Community Days
  • Philanthrophy
    • DeSean Jackson Donates $10,000 To Fight Pancreatic Cancer
  • Sponsors and Partnerships
  • Make Your Dream Youth Summit
  • News and Media
    • DeSean Jackson Releases Statement
    • NFL Bracketology: DeSean Jackson’s Greatest Play in NFL History with 58 Million Votes
    • DeSean Jackson on Arsenio Hall Show
    • DeSean Jackson’s Jersey at Pro Football Hall of Fame
    • My Wish..Donovan Troy and DeSean Jackson
  • Social Justice
  • Daddy’s Light Program for Grieving Children
  • DJACC’S Swagg Team Rocks Purple for Pancreatic Cancer Awareness
  • Wounded Warriors Project
    • 2013 NFL Player and Wounded Warrior Amputee Softball Game
    • 2014 NFL Player and Wounded Warrior Amputee Softball Game
  • In Loving Memory……
    • Eugene Thurman Upshaw, Jr.
    • Michele Garson
    • Michelle Ketterman
    • Stuart Scott
    • Ahmad Given – VH I Reality Star Dies at 35 from Colon Cancer.
  • Please Donate to DeSean Jackson Foundat10n
  • Contact Us

DeSean Jackson Foundation

~ Official Site for DeSean Jackson Foundation

DeSean Jackson Foundation

Category Archives: Social Justice

NFL 360: The LA Marathon: Nipsey Hussle wins 2020 Webby Award

06 Tuesday Oct 2020

Posted by deseanjacksonsfoundation in DJF Media Release, Social Justice

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

DeSean Jackson, Nipsey Hussle, Philadelphia Eagles, The Marathon Continues, The Webby Awards

The Marathon Most Definitely Continues

Contact: Denise Gilley, The Webby Awards, Phone: (212) 675-3555, (denise@webbyawards.com)            

PRESS RELEASE

  NFL 360:  The LA Marathon:  Nipsey Hussle wins 2020 Webby Award DeSean Jackson, Producer

Los Angeles, CA 

The Marathon Most Definitely Continues

NFL 360: The LA Marathon: Nipsey Hussle , featuring Philadelphia Eagle, DeSean Jackson, was named the best 2020 Social (Sports) Video, during the 24th Annual Webby Awards.  The video was developed by the NFL Network, and narrated and produced by DeSean Jackson, who grew up in South Central LA with Ermias Ashedom (a/k/a Nipsey Hussle) an entrepreneur, rapper and social activist, whose assassination sparked an international movement for social justice. 

“The NFL Network and DeSean Jackson have set the standard for innovation and creativity on the Internet,” said Claire Graves, Executive Director, of The Webby Awards. “This award is a testament to the skill, ingenuity, and vision of its creators.”

The video tops the shortlist for International Awards Honoring the Best of the Internet.  Out of 13,000 entries from all 50 U.S. States and 70+ countries, and 2.5 million votes cast by 600,000 people in the Webby People’s Voice Awards—the 24th Annual Webby Awards is one of the biggest in its history.

The Webby Award is hailed as the “Internet’s highest honor” by the New York Times. The award was presented by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences (IADAS) and is the leading international awards organization honoring excellence on the Internet.  IADAS, which nominates and selects The Webby Award Winners, is comprised of digital industry experts, including Instagram’s Instagram’s Head of Fashion Partnerships, Eva Chen, Director of Harvard’s Berkman Center for Internet & Society, Susan P. Crawford, actor; and, activist Jesse Williams, GE CMO, Linda Boff, Pod Save the People, host and activist DeRay Mckesson, Google’s Head of Conversation Design, Cathy Pearl, Fortnite Designer, Eric Williamson, HBO Digital Chief, Diane Tryneski, Los Angeles Laker, Isaiah Thomas, and DDB Worldwide ,CEO Wendy Clark.

ABOUT WINNER

Recognitions

2020

Webby Winner

Social
Sports (Video) 2020

Title

NFL 360: The LA Marathon: Nipsey Hussle

The work is listed on our Winners Gallery here:  https://winners.webbyawards.com/2020/social/social-video/sports-video/123295/nfl-360-the-la-marathon-nipsey-hussle

Also, the work is listed on our Winners Gallery here:  https://winners.webbyawards.com/2020/social/social-video/sports-video/123295/nfl-360-the-la-marathon-nipsey-hussle

Entrant

NFL Network

Team

Dallas Hitchcock
Sr. Coordinating Producer
NFL Network

Anthony Smith
Producer, Director
NFL Network

Mike Derouin
Coordinating Producer
NFL Network

Ryan Travis
Director of Photography
NFL Network

Dakota Diel
Cinematographer
NFL Network

John Orfanopoulos
Editor
NFL Network

DeSean Jackson, Philadelphia Eagles, All Pro Wide Receiver
Producer

Byron Jackson, Sports Rhythm, Inc.
Producer

Julian Gooden
Story Producer
NFL Network

Jake Albrecht
Cinematographer

Find The Webby Awards Online:

Website: webbyawards.com
Instagram: @TheWebbyAwards
Twitter: @TheWebbyAwards
Facebook: Facebook.com/TheWebbyAwards
YouTube: youtube.com/webby
Snapchat: TheWebbyAwards

About The Webby Awards:

Hailed as the “Internet’s highest honor” by The New York Times, The Webby Awards is the leading international awards organization honoring excellence on the Internet, including Websites, Video, Advertising, Media & PR, Apps, Mobile, and Voice, Social, Podcasts, and Games. Established in 1996, this year’s Webby Awards received nearly 13,000 entries from all 50 states and 70 countries worldwide.

The Webby Awards are presented by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences (IADAS). Sponsors and Partners of The Webby Awards include: WP Engine, Monday.com, Slack, YouGov, BASIC, KPMG, Adweek, Fast Company, The New Museum, and Social Media Week.

###

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Email
  • Print

Like this:

Like Loading...

How Nipsey Hussle’s death led DeSean Jackson to Boys’ Latin

24 Friday May 2019

Posted by deseanjacksonsfoundation in NFL Players Giving Back, Social Justice

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

#MarathonContinues, DeSean Jackson, DeSean Jackson Foundation, Morehouse College, National Football League, Nipsey Hussle, Philadelphia Eagles

download (2)

Tim McManus
ESPN Staff Writer

Repost by:  DeSean Jackson Foundation, 5/24/2019

http://www.espn.com/video/clip?id=26651401

PHILADELPHIA, PA — Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson was about halfway through his Q&A session with the students at Boys’ Latin Charter School in West Philly on Wednesday, and to that point he had fielded only football-related questions. Knowing there were bigger issues at hand, he took it upon himself to change the direction of the conversation.

“Let’s try to switch it a little bit,” Jackson finally said to a group of about 150 high schoolers, who sat at rapt attention as Jackson spoke from the stage in a surprise appearance. “Let’s go to everyday life, when you all leave from school, any obstacles you are all going through.”

Jackson was aware of the series of tragedies that had struck this community. Boys’ Latin, the only public all-boys school in Philadelphia, lost four students to homicide or suicide in the 2017-18 school year alone, according to lead student support officer Kenyon Meeks. One of the victims was William Bethel, a 16-year-old athlete who was slain on Easter Sunday in 2018. Bethel shared a connection with Jackson, having attended Jackson’s youth football camp during his first stint with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Meeks was a supporter of that camp and built a relationship with the star receiver over time. He helped arrange Jackson’s first trip to Boys’ Latin in 2013. It was the death of artist Nipsey Hussle, Jackson’s longtime friend, that prompted Meeks to reach out to Jackson for a return appearance, as he identified a common thread that could tie a success story to a group of young men in need of some hope and direction. Jackson was moved to help.

“We brought in DeSean Jackson today because of the recent Nipsey Hussle situation, related to the loss of some of our students,” Meeks said. “One of the key things for me was, how do I bridge that gap with our students that are feeling down and depressed, or just have to deal with the everyday aspect of being out here in West Philly?

“We have had our shares of ups and downs, and it was nice to finally have some joy here.”

Jackson remained hidden behind a side door in the school cafeteria before being introduced by the principal. He was greeted by a roar of applause when he emerged, and he went down the line shaking the hands of all the boys in the first row before hopping up on stage. He spoke of his journey from the Crenshaw neighborhood of Los Angeles to the NFL, and the pitfalls that had to be navigated along the way. It wasn’t long before he evoked Hussle’s name for the first time.

“I’m sure everybody in this room heard about the Nipsey Hussle situation, right?” Jackson asked, the crowd responding with a resounding “Yeah” in unison. “That was my boy, man. I grew up with him. That still hurts my heart to this day. Because it’s not really the enemies, it’s the people in your inner circle you’ve got to watch out for. You get to a certain point where you feel comfortable. You’ve got everybody praising you for what you do where you come from, sometimes you let down your guard. I’m going to tell you guys here today, just be careful.

Nipsey

Rapper Nipsey Hussle was fatally shot outside of his store in Los Angeles, Marathon Clothing, in late March. AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, File
“You have to really understand: What are you in it for? Are you in it to win or to lose? Every day I chase to win. I don’t chase to lose. We’re not losers. Everybody in this room today has a destination in life. You’ve got a born date and you’ve got a death date. In between that time, how are you going to make the most out of it?”

Hussle was fatally shot outside his store in Los Angeles, Marathon Clothing, in late March. According to Meeks, Hussle’s death affected his students “on a level that you wouldn’t even believe,” saying that it “just uprooted everything that we have been through as a school community.”

Besides his music, Hussle was known for being an agent of change for the area in which he grew up, a neighborhood he stayed loyal to his entire life.

Hailing from the same area in South Central Los Angeles, Jackson and Hussle were friends for more than 15 years. Jackson will be wearing custom cleats to honor him this season.

Once he redirected the conversation, Jackson was asked about the neighborhood he came from and difficulties it presented. He spoke of his upbringing in the Crenshaw district, where “all people know is Crips and Bloods,” and where wearing the wrong color clothing can put you in peril. He had a decision to make: go into the streets and “hang out with my homeboys that’s just killing, that’s robbing, that’s selling drugs” or try to make a positive impact by pursuing his dream to be a professional football player.

“It’s obstacles,” Jackson said. “And I’m sure in your neck of the woods, where you come from, it’s the same.”

“It really touched me, because my uncle and a couple of my friends were killed due to gun violence,” said Jeremiah Carter, a Boys’ Latin senior and defensive lineman who is slated to attend Morehouse College in the fall, “so it helped to see somebody that comes from the same situation as that being in a higher place in life, and it motivates me to focus on, OK, even though bad things happen to people, that you can still push through that.”

Nipsey2

Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson speaks to a group of students from the Boys’ Latin Charter School in West Philadelphia on Wednesday.

That spoke to Jackson’s overall message, one inspired by Hussle: to make something of yourself so you can one day create the change you want to see in your community.

“It’s the same stuff Nipsey was on,” Jackson said. “Like Jay Z said, ‘Go buy up the block.’ That’s what we need to do as young black men, and any other race, you’ve really got to go back and buy up the block.

“Anytime you’re able to do anything, put your best foot forward and change the culture. We’ve got to come together as one.”

0501-desean-jackson-shoes-instagram-1

DJACC New Image

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Email
  • Print

Like this:

Like Loading...

DeSean Jackson Foundation Receives NFL Foundation Social Justice Grant

22 Tuesday Jan 2019

Posted by deseanjacksonsfoundation in Social Justice

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

DeSean Jackson, DeSean Jackson Foundation, NFL, NFL Foundation, NFL Social Justice Grant, NFLPA, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The DeSean Jackson Foundation has been awarded a social justice grant from the National Football League Foundation, the league’s non-profit which represents the 32 NFL teams.
ernest just day 20DeSean Jackson at Ernest Just Elementary, Tampa, Florida
ernest just day2
ernest just day 27Ire Carolina, Principal, Ernest Just Elementary, DeSean Jackson, CEO, DeSean Jackson Foundation, 2018 DJF Book Distribution Day, Tampa, Florida

The NFL Social Justice Grant is designed to provide non-profit organizations with funding, on behalf of a current or former NFL player who matches the NFL grant, to effect social change. The grant is used to fund organizations, programs or initiatives that reduce barriers to opportunity. Areas of priority include, but are not limited to education, criminal justice reform, community/police relations; and, can also address poverty, racial equality and workforce/economic development.
bday pictureDeSean Jackson’s Omega Gents’ Mentees, Tampa, Florida (Shakur Jasper, Adviser)

The DeSean Jackson Foundation (“DJF”) is a 501 (C)(3), public charity that was founded by DeSean Jackson, of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and his mother, Gayle Jackson, in 2010, in memory of his father who died from Pancreatic Cancer, when DeSean was a Philadelphia Eagle rookie. Over the years, DJF has expanded its focus and outreach to several NFL franchise markets (Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Redskins, Tampa Bay Buccaneers) addressing the specific needs of marginalized communities and vulnerable individuals and families in these markets.
ernest just day1Gayle Jackson, President, DeSean Jackson Foundation and Byron Jackson, CEO/Founder, Play 4 Life Inc.
dr. wilsonByron Jackson, Dr. Baretta Wilson, Principal, Stewart Middle School, DeSean Jackson – 2018 DJF Book Distribution at Stewart Middle School, Tampa, Florida

The NFL Social Justice Grant will provide crucial funding to support existing DJF priority areas: addressing poverty, advocating for the impoverished and disenfranchised, racial equality, community relations, education, hunger, disparities in access to healthcare; and,to expand the newly launched “Play 4 Life” Academy, in partnership with his brother Byron Jackson, in Hillsborough Public Schools, Tampa, Florida. The grant will also augment the work that DeSean Jackson began as a Tampa Bay Buccaneer 2018 Social Justice Player Board Member who is committed to making an impact in the Tampa community.

ABOUT: NFL Social Justice Fund. To learn more about the NFL Foundation Social Justice Fund, please visit http://www.nflfoundation.org

ABOUT: Play 4 Life Academy. To learn more about the Play 4 Life Academy, please contact Byron Jackson, Sports Rhythmn LLC. https://sportsrhthms.net

cropped-631_480x480_front_color-white

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Email
  • Print

Like this:

Like Loading...

Bucs players add support to Tampa ex-offender program

17 Wednesday Oct 2018

Posted by deseanjacksonsfoundation in Social Justice

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Abe Brown Ministries, Ali Marpet, Buccaneers Social Justice Initiative, Darcie Glazer Kassewitz, Donovan Smith, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Image result for Tampa Bay Times logo
By Eduardo Encina
Published: October 16, 2018
Repost By:  J. Adams, DeSean Jackson Foundation: October 16, 2018

Bucs players add support to Tampa ex-offender program

Bucs offensive tackle Donovan Smith (76) listens to Ready4Work participants Tuesday at Abe Brown Ministries in Tampa, Fla. Bucs players talked with ex-offenders who are a part of the Ready4Work program, about bias and faith, among other topics. The event was a part of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers recent social justice initiatives. MONICA HERNDON   |   Times
Bucs offensive tackle Donovan Smith (76) listens to Ready4Work participants Tuesday at Abe Brown Ministries in Tampa, Fla. Bucs players talked with ex-offenders who are a part of the Ready4Work program, about bias and faith, among other topics. The event was a part of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers recent social justice initiatives. MONICA HERNDON | Times
##
TAMPA — Buccaneers players spent Tuesday morning at Abe Brown Ministries in Belmont Heights listening to stories of redemption. The second stop on the team’s player-driven Social Justice Initiative schedule saw players immersed in a classroom setting alongside those currently making the adjustment from incarceration to becoming productive members of the workforce.
They heard a testimonial from Khadijah Lee, who served time for a drug conviction but through the Ready4Work Hillsborough ex-offender support program at Abe Brown Ministries now works at the Hillsborough County public defender’s office. “I think just in general, it was everyone’s openness and candidness that stood out,” said Bucs offensive guard Ali Marpet, who is one the initiative’s player board. “It’s not easy to talk about your life story to complete strangers and the fact that everyone was able to do that was really a testament to who they are. It’s really powerful stuff.”The Buccaneers’ year-round Social Justice Initiative, which was launched last month, was created to focus on police relations, criminal justice reform, racial equality, workforce development and youth empowerment.

The program was born when players wanted to make a grassroots effort to address social injustice issues beyond the on-field kneeling during the national anthem. “These were things that were important to the players,” said Bucs co-owner and Tampa Bay Buccaneers Foundation president Darcie Glazer Kassewitz. “They are putting this together. They are leading this. Prisons, back-to-work, empowerment for people, this is something they are very interested in. … That’s the beautiful thing about this program. It’s player-led, so it’s whatever touches their passion individually. That’s why it’s going to be so true and authentic, and why it’s going to be so amazing.”The program’s first event took players to Tampa Police Department’s Citizens Academy, where they reenacted scenarios in which officers must make life-changing decisions quickly.

Tuesday’s visit took them to a much different side to the spectrum, listening to those who have served time in jail and now are trying to overcome the stigma being labeled as criminals. Through the Ready4Work program, clients go through a four-to-six week, five-time a week career development crash course, the first step of helping them get jobs and reunite with their families. The program began locally four years ago, and of the 800 clients, 500 have completed the career development program, said Abe Brown Ministries president and Ready4Work director Robert Blount. It can be a challenge to getting clients jobs. Candidates have a 70 percent placement rate ad a 70 percent retention rate of being on the job 90 days of longer, Blount said. Blount said having the Bucs players —seven players attended the event, including Social Justice player board members Ali Marpet and Donovan Smith —visit a class offered “mutual exposure.”

Justice player board members Marpet and Donovan Smith —visit a class offered “mutual exposure.”

View image on Twitter

TampaBayTimesSports

The player-led, year-round Tampa Bay Buccaneers Social Justice Initiative — created with $1 million in matching funds from the Glazer family — has adopted the motto, “We are the change.” #Bucs #Buccaneers @Buccaneers @TB_Times @NFLSTROUD http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/bucs/2018/09/18/bucs-announce-social-justice-initiative/ …

7:29 PM – Sep 18, 2018

“I think it puts a face on it for them,” Blount said. “It goes beyond an Orange County jail uniform or a state prison blue suit. It goes beyond a DOC number. These are mothers, these are fathers. They’re real people like you and I, so I think it helps them to kind of put it in perspective, yeah you hear this label, but these are real people like you and I.“They’re more than just a label. From an athlete’s standpoint, I’m sure some of them have been labeled. Yeah, he’s just a dumb jock. So having to endure and overcome those labels, knowing that just because you have that label, you don’t have to accept it.”

Smith sat next to Kingson Aristil, who served 10 years in jail. Aristil, who ran track, cross country and played baseball at an Orlando high school, was incarcerated when he was 18. He is in his fourth week of the Ready4Work program, and looks forward to owning his own business one day.“For the first five years of my incarceration, I beat myself up about seeing guys I went to school with make it pro,” Aristil said. “A little bit of jealousy and envy went through me because I felt like I needed to be them. … Right now, in my life, I’m getting to a point of contentment. I’m happy seeing guys who are younger than me in the NFL doing what they need to do and coming back and giving back. I was broken. I was hurt. I thought I would never be able to compensate for the 10 years that I lost. My spirit feels at peace here. I feel humble here. I feel love.”

“Football and life parallels in a lot of ways,” the Bucs’ Donovan Smith said. “It’s about second chances. Every day, we’re given the chance to be our best. Unfortunately, in society, poorly-made decisions in people’s lives can kind of negate those chance. To come to a place where they are able to be in the path on their way back to normal society, it’s huge. We wanted to make it a point to be there and understand and sit down and talk with the people who are going through these things and hit it all. “Everybody goes through things,” he added, “Just hearing their stories and their similarities, it’s was lack of a better word, weird, because we are on two different ends to the spectrum, but we have similar backgrounds. It was just great to get here and hear the testimonies and just sit down one-on-one with them.

# # #

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Email
  • Print

Like this:

Like Loading...

Bucs announce social justice initiative

23 Sunday Sep 2018

Posted by deseanjacksonsfoundation in Social Justice

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Ali Marpet, Buccaneers Social Justice Initiative, Colin Kaepernick, DeSean Jackson, Donovan Smith, Gerald McCoy, Glazer Family Foundation, Jerry Jones, Mayor Bob Buckhorn, NFL, President Donald Trump, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Bucs announce social justice initiative

Tampa Bay Buccaneers, including Donovan Smith, Gerald McCoy and DeSean Jackson, pose for a photo with other dignitaries during an announcement of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers social justice initiative on September 18, 2018 at the Tampa Police Department Training Academy in Tampa, Fla. The Glazers pledged $1 million in matching funds of Tampa Bay Buccaneers players contributions to organizations committed to social justice in Tampa Bay. MONICA HERNDON   |   Times
Tampa Bay Buccaneers, including Donovan Smith, Gerald McCoy and DeSean Jackson, pose for a photo with other dignitaries during an announcement of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers social justice initiative on September 18, 2018 at the Tampa Police Department Training Academy in Tampa, Fla. The Glazers pledged $1 million in matching funds of Tampa Bay Buccaneers players contributions to organizations committed to social justice in Tampa Bay. MONICA HERNDON | Times

##
TAMPA — Buccaneers’ receiver DeSean Jackson stepped out of his cleats and walked in the shoes of a Tampa police officer during a simulation training session Tuesday that was eye-opening.

“I was a police officer doing a regular (traffic) stop and I got up to the car and they just started shooting at me,” Jackson said. “I was like, dang. I had to react. I wasn’t expecting that one.”

Almost a year ago to the day, Jackson and teammate Mike Evans took a knee during the national anthem before a game at Minnesota to draw attention to social injustice.

That spurred a team conversation that on Tuesday led to the unveiling of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Social Justice Initiative.

The player-led, year round initiative which has adopted the motto of “We are the change,” was created with $1 million in matching funds from the Glazer family that owns the Bucs.

On Tuesday, the initiative’s founding board that includes DeSean Jackson, Gerald McCoy, Donovan Smith and Ali Marpet and about 15 teammates, participated in police specialty team demonstrations and scenario-based exercises at the TPD training facility. They also held a question and answer session with Tampa Police Chief Brian Dugan.

“I thought there was a disconnect and miscommunication that needed to be cleared,” McCoy said. “And we were able to ask questions and it was an open and honest conversation. We were able to ask hard questions.”

Mayor Bob Buckhorn, who says he goes to sleep each night listening to a police call scanner, said it’s the kind of conversation people need to have in every city. “This is an interesting time in America,” Buckhorn said. “It is an interesting time in the cities of America. It is a very unique time in terms of the police in our communities, particularly our communities of color. This is a challenge unlike anything we have faced as a nation. But ultimately it’s up to us how we resolve that quandary. It’s about communication. It’s about treating people with respect.”

The NFL has been looking for answers to this thorny issue since the summer of 2016, when a string of police shootings of unarmed black men inspired 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick to kneel rather than stand for the national anthem. Kaepernick said he was protesting racial injustice. Other NFL players followed his lead, and athletes from other sports leagues joined the protests in various forms. But there were negative responses, even calls by President Donald Trump that players who protest during the national anthem should be fired.

When President Trump launched a sensational attack on NFL players, saying owners should “get that son of a (expletive) off the field” if  players disrespect the flag, it seemed to unify players and management. But television ratings saw a slight dip, and owners such as Jerry Jones tried to reach a solution by adopting a national anthem policy at the league meetings in March. The NFL rescinded its national anthem policy and is working with the players association on an collectively bargained one.

Darcie Glazer Kassewitz, Bucs owner/president of the team’s foundation, said Tampa Bay players identified four areas that needed the most help: police relations, criminal justice reform, racial equality and youth empowerment.

The Bucs players have three more events scheduled this year: a Ready 4-work ex-offender training program, a prison crusade with Abe Brown Ministries and a juvenile justice mentoring event with G3 Life Apps.

“I had some questions I wanted to ask because I have some family in law enforcement and I understand that their job, career, it’s not easy,” McCoy said. “It’s not easy at all and they take a lot of heat. Everybody in professional football, they’re not always going to be the best people. They’re not going to make the best decisions. But it’s going to be magnified with something negative. But there’s a lot, a lot, a lot, of great police officers out there and they do a lot in the community. And it’s not just protecting us, but going to schools and talking to groups or spending time with kids they drive past at the park.”

McCoy’s turn in the simulator on Tuesday also did not end well.

“I did the simulation where I actually ended up being stabbed because I missed (with the taser),” McCoy said. “And I did a simulation where, they weren’t aggressive, but it escalated very fast. It teaches you that you have to make split second decisions. The crazy thing is similar to Sundays, you have a decision to make. You have your training. But you’re not always going to make the right decision. They opened our eyes to that today. It’s easy to watch it on TV from afar and say what a person should and shouldn’t do and how things should and shouldn’t go. But when you’re right in the midst, in the heat of the moment, it’s a lot harder than we make it seem.”

DeSean Jackson thanked the Glazer Family Foundation for their willingness to provide matching player contribution, which could result in a $2-million fund for the initiative. He said he hopes other NFL teams will follow suit with similar programs.

“It’s like a trigger affect,” Jackson said. “Once again, I don’t think the Glazers could miss this opportunity. It definitely helped, the conversation we had last year. Definitively, from last year to where we are right now is a huge change, a huge jump.”

##

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Email
  • Print

Like this:

Like Loading...

Subscribe

  • Entries (RSS)
  • Comments (RSS)

Archives

  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • December 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • March 2021
  • January 2021
  • October 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • February 2020
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • January 2019
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • September 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • June 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • December 2014
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • March 2014
  • February 2014
  • January 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013
  • October 2013
  • September 2013
  • July 2013
  • June 2013
  • May 2013
  • April 2013
  • March 2013
  • February 2013
  • January 2013
  • December 2012
  • November 2012
  • October 2012
  • September 2012
  • July 2012
  • June 2012
  • May 2012
  • April 2012
  • March 2012
  • January 2012
  • December 2011
  • September 2011
  • July 2011
  • June 2011
  • May 2011
  • April 2011
  • February 2011
  • December 2010
  • March 2010
  • January 2010
  • August 2008
  • November 2007
  • October 2007

Categories

  • DJF Media Release
  • DJF Social Media
  • NFL Players Giving Back
  • Social Justice
  • Uncategorized

Meta

  • Register
  • Log in

Flickr Photos

DSC_9014clementinasSalt Galata
More Photos

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 9,956 other subscribers
  • RSS - Posts
  • RSS - Comments

Website Powered by WordPress.com.

  • Follow Following
    • DeSean Jackson Foundation
    • Join 94 other followers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • DeSean Jackson Foundation
    • Customize
    • Follow Following
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar
 

Loading Comments...
 

    %d bloggers like this: