In early March, when most eyes in the NFL world were fixated on the scouting combine in Indianapolis, Broncos linebacker Brandon Marshall stood on a stage inside Harvard’s School of Education in Cambridge, Mass.
His discomfort was evident and his smile too big to miss. The setting was new and there was a part of him that just didn’t understand why — why him?
In the months prior, Marshall’s actions cost him millions of dollars in endorsement money as well as a loss of fan support, and prompted derogatory and hate-filled messages from strangers. His jersey was burned in the parking lot of the Broncos’ facility. His life was threatened in a handwritten letter.
But on this evening, the rhetoric flipped and Marshall was lauded for his actions. Harvard Graduate School of Education’s Alumni of Color selected him as their 2017 Courage Award winner for his silent protests of social injustice, his work and contributions to local charities, and his discussions with the Denver Police Department to encourage changes to its use-of-force policy.
To Marshall, the award was validation.
“Once I got my award from Harvard, I actually asked them, I said, ‘Why did you choose me instead of (Colin) Kaepernick?’ ” Marshall said Tuesday, the Broncos’ first day of veteran minicamp. “But they said it’s not about who did it first. They said they felt like how you did it, and you lost your endorsements but you kept going, you did things, I guess, in the right way and you helped create change in this community. I got the letter, you know what I’m saying, the racist letter.”
Kaepernick, Marshall’s former college teammate at Nevada and now a quarterback still in search of a job, led a wave of protests that spread across all sports last year. Kaepernick’s protest started in the preseason, when he sat and then kneeled for the playing of the national anthem to protest injustices in the U.S., most notably a string of police brutality cases.
Marshall followed suit and kneeled for the first seven games of the regular season. His decision to stand again was spurred by Denver police’s use-of-force policy revisions, which came on the heels of Marshall’s visit with police chief Robert White.
Marshall, who signed a four-year contract extension last offseason, said it was important to him to follow his protests with action. So he did.
Kaepernick did, too, donating millions of dollars to charities nationwide. But he opted out of his contract at season’s end and now, nearly two months into free agency, is still in search of work. Some argue he’s been “blackballed” by NFL owners because of his protests. Others say football-related factors — including scheme, style of play and contract demands — have all contributed to his unemployment.
Marshall is firmly with the first group and made his position clear a couple of weeks ago with a Tweet that read: “It’s time my Brother @Kaepernick7 gets signed. He’s better than every QB that got signed in Free agency.”
“Quarterbacks are usually the face of the franchise. So, he’s probably being blackballed,” Marshall said Tuesday. “Maybe part of it is owners don’t want their franchise tagged with that. But I still stand by what I said (on Twitter), that he’s the best quarterback in free agency. He’s better than all of those that got signed, the Matt Barkleys, the Nick Foleses. I think that’s a fair assessment, honestly.”
Last year, NFL players and athletes in many sports spoke out more on political and social issues than they had in many years. When asked if he feels there’s a double standard in the NFL between players who speak out and owners who delve into political issues, Marshall said, “Absolutely.”
Six NFL owners donated $1 million to President Donald Trump’s inaugural committee — seven, including the $1 million donation from Gladstone Limited Partnership, a company in which Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is president. Late last month, Broncos general manager John Elway penned a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee in support of Neil Gorsuch as a Supreme Court nominee. Stamped at the top was the Broncos’ logo.
The backlash was minimal.
“Kaepernick did a silent protest and he’s being blackballed,” Marshall said. “Some guys have done worse, DUIs, domestic violence, and they still got opportunities, you know? Kaep didn’t break any laws. And so that’s why I don’t understand.”
Marshall said throughout last season he had no regrets about his actions. He knew what could happen, with the potential loss of endorsement deals and more.
But his priorities were clear. They’re even clearer now.
“In the grand scheme of things, that’s not what’s important to me in life. The endorsements, all the extra money — it’s not that important,” he said. “I did what I felt was right in my heart. And I’m the one that has to go home and lay my head on that pillow and feel comfortable with who I am as a man. So, if I would have sold out I guess after the first week — because I lost both of those in the first week — and if I had said, ‘OK, I’ve got to stand up,’ then I wouldn’t feel comfortable with who I am as a man.
“So, I don’t regret it. I appreciate those companies for giving me the opportunity, but it’s OK. I know in the grand scheme of things I did what was right. I helped create some change in Denver.”