Washington Redskins wide receiver DeSean Jackson became the latest NFL player to address social issues in the United States.
During pregame warmups for Sunday's game between the Redskins and Cleveland Browns, Jackson wore cleats that depicted police crime tape. Shortly after taking to the field, the Redskins issued statements about the cleats on Jackson's behalf.
"Today is the start of my attempts to be part of a solution and start dialogue about the senseless killings of both citizens and police," Jackson stated. "I have chosen to wear these cleats in pregame today to use my platform as a pro athlete to add to this discussion. This isn't meant to be any kind of protest against the good men and women in law enforcement in this country. I just want to express my concern in a peaceful and productive way about issues that are currently impacting our country."
The Redskins issued the following statement:
"We stand in support of both DeSean and the law enforcement community. We have great respect for law enforcement and the sacrifices they make each and every day to protect and serve our communities. We continue to have open dialogue with our players about issues that are important to them and support their efforts to bring awareness to those issues when done in a responsible manner."
Jackson is one of dozens of NFL players who've publicly protested before games since San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick revealed in August he would not stand during the national anthem to protest the treatment of African-Americans in the U.S.
