Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliott, Patrick Mahomes Take NFL To Task Over Racial Inequality In Video
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM/AP) - Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott linked up with more than a dozen NFL stars who sent a passionate video message to the league about racial inequality.
Their 'Black Lives Matter' collaboration joins the collective fabric of the movement sparked by the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man killed by Minnesota police officers.
In the video, they ask: "What will it take … for one of us to be murdered by police brutality? What if I was George Floyd?"
Another Texas super-star, Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes is in the 70-second video, too. It was released on social media platforms Thursday night, and includes Saquon Barkley, Michael Thomas, Odell Beckham Jr., Deshaun Watson, Jamal Adams, Stephon Gilmore and DeAndre Hopkins, among others.
#StrongerTogether pic.twitter.com/sfwF9Uvgaa
— Patrick Mahomes II (@PatrickMahomes) June 5, 2020
The video closes with the players demanding the NFL state that it condemns "racism and the systemic oppression of black people," and that the league "admit wrong in silencing" players from peacefully protesting. The players also want the league to state: "We, the National Football League, believe black lives matter."
The players then name several of the black men and women who have recently been killed, including Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and Eric Garner.
Elliott's teammate, Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott is using his platform to take a major stand for Floyd as well, announcing Wednesday that he's pledging $1 million "to improve police training and address systematic racism through education and advocacy."
(© Copyright 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)