Players’ responsibility to use a platform authentically
Jason Sehorn, a former NFL player, spoke about the responsibility of athletes to “walk the walk” because talk means nothing if they say one thing and do another.
“It’s the ultimate double-edged sword. So, the first side of the sword is that you have a platform. You should use that for good for something. The second part of that sword is you’ve now spoken out, so you now have to carry yourself in a different manner, because you’ve said that you act this way and you believe in this,” Sehorn said.
Authenticity is key, agreed Gina Scott, VP of partner services with NFL Players Inc., the marketing and licensing subsidiary of the NFL Players Association (NFLPA). Players need to work in the community where they live and show the impact they are making locally.
“We tell players all the time, not everyone is going to have that global campaign, but there are three cities where you’re going to be most marketable, and you can make your impact. Your hometown, where you play collegiately, and where you are playing currently,” Scott said. “If you don’t do anything else, serve the communities that you either resided in, went to college in, or are playing in now, because you have to show that you are giving back to your community.”
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