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Broncos LB Brandon Marshall on causes: 'I need to do more'

frank schwab
NFL writer

From the moments Denver Broncos linebacker Brandon Marshall started explaining why he took a knee for the national anthem before last week’s opener, he made it clear that was just one step in his process.

Kneeling brought attention — in a peaceful, non-disruptive way — to the issues of social injustice, police brutality and even how veterans are treated. Marshall mentioned the latter because he has family members who served in the military, although that message got lost in the ignorant claims by angry fans that he’s being anti-military by protesting during the anthem.

Getting attention to those issues is great, but Marshall said he didn’t want to stop there.

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Like Colin Kaepernick, Marshall’s college teammate who started this movement, Marshall has thought a lot about these issues and is taking them seriously. He wants to speak out not just against police brutality against minorities, but seemingly everything involving equality for all people. He also wants to take action. Marshall met with Denver Chief of Police Robert White on Tuesday and posted the following heartfelt letter on Instagram, which outlined some of his initiatives, including donating $300 for every tackle this season to various organizations. He met with White after talking to a fourth-grade class, according to Mike Klis of 9News in Denver.

Here is Marshall’s letter from Instagram, along with his photo of White:

On Thursday, Sept. 8, I took a knee for the National Anthem to take a stand against social injustice. My intent was not to offend anyone but rather to simply raise awareness and create some dialogue toward affecting positive change in our communities.

In the last week, I’ve had a lot of productive conversations with people I respect, including Chief White of the Denver Police Department. I really appreciate all of them taking the time to listen to me and offer some insight and feedback on ways we can all make a difference.

I’ve also had a lot of time to personally reflect on important issues such as race and gender equality, the treatment of our military veterans, our relationship with law enforcement, educational opportunities for our youth, and many more. I recognize and applaud the significant progress that has been made in these areas made possible only through the hard work of so many dedicated leaders.

But, it’s clear there is so more work to be done by all of us. Together, we all need to Stand Up for change.

This starts with me.

My work with the Rose Andom Center to stop domestic violence is fulfilling and close to my heart. But I need to do more.

I plan to be involved with several other organizations that benefit the Denver community and others through the services, awareness and funds they provide for these critical social issues. And I will donate 300 dollars for every tackle I make this season to those programs.

You can track these contributions on social media through #TackleChange.

I’m truly grateful for the support I’ve received from so many people, especially my teammates. I look forward to preparing with them and focusing on an important game Sunday against the Colts.

On Thursday, Sept. 8, I took a knee for the National Anthem to take a stand against social injustice. My intent was not to offend anyone but rather to simply raise awareness and create some dialogue toward affecting positive change in our communities. In the last week, I’ve had a lot of productive conversations with people I respect, including Chief White of the Denver Police Department. I really appreciate all of them taking the time to listen to me and offer some insight and feedback on ways we can all make a difference. I’ve also had a lot of time to personally reflect on important issues such as race and gender equality, the treatment of our military veterans, our relationship with law enforcement, educational opportunities for our youth, and many more. I recognize and applaud the significant progress that has been made in these areas made possible only through the hard work of so many dedicated leaders. But, it’s clear there is so more work to be done by all of us. Together, we all need to Stand Up for change. This starts with me. My work with the Rose Andom Center to stop domestic violence is fulfilling and close to my heart. But I need to do more. I plan to be involved with several other organizations that benefit the Denver community and others through the services, awareness and funds they provide for these critical social issues. And I will donate 300 dollars for every tackle I make this season to those programs. You can track these contributions on social media through #TackleChange. I’m truly grateful for the support I’ve received from so many people, especially my teammates. I look forward to preparing with them and focusing on an important game Sunday against the Colts.

A photo posted by Brandon Marshall (@bmarshh54) on Sep 14, 2016 at 10:11am PDT

For those who wrongly say the players should use a different approach, that’s ignoring how much positive dialogue has been created by the protests. Perhaps Marshall could have met with White without kneeling for the anthem, as a prominent member of the defending Super Bowl champions in a city that loves its Broncos, but it probably didn’t hurt in speeding up the process. Since Kaepernick’s protest became a big story weeks ago, media outlets around the country have spent invaluable time talking about the protest and the cause behind it.

There have been other positive steps, such as the 49ers matching Kaepernick’s $1 million donation to various groups that support equality. Or Marshall’s very thoughtful answer of “only love can drive out hate” to those criticizing him. Those who are inventing reasons to complain about the NFL players’ movement seem to be an irrational and angry, albeit vocal, minority.

If Marshall kneeling for the national anthem is going to bring about constructive dialogue about issues like racial equality, police brutality, the treatment of military veterans and domestic violence, how can it be viewed as a bad thing?

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Frank Schwab is the editor of Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at shutdown.corner@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!