The Kansas City Chiefs in Week 1 locked arms during the National Anthem while Marcus Peters raised one fist in following the demonstrations started by Colin Kaepernick weeks earlier. The Chiefs players said after that game that they wanted to move the message forward by meeting with community leaders and make an actual difference in the community. We’ve caught wind of Marcus Peters doing just that.
Ruskin High School in Kansas City had a football game last weekend and the NFL’s reigning defensive rookie of the year showed up unannounced, 610 Sports The Drive reported this week.
“We looked up after we finished our pregame talk and Marcus Peters and his Dad and his brother were sitting in the back,” Ruskin head coach William Perkins told Danny Parkins and Carrington Harrison on 610 Sports on Thursday.
Peters was the one to reach out to them and he spoke to the team before their game last week.
“He encouraged our kids to believe in what they’re doing,” Perkins said. “Our school kind of reminded him of his school back in Oakland. He felt really comfortable here. He told our kids to keep working hard and keep doing what they’re doing and make sure they’re doing what they need to do in the classroom.”
Perkins said that the players loved it as you would expect.
“He said, hey listen, with everything going on in our society, he told our young men to be mindful of what’s happening and be alert and make sure they’re reading and getting the information from what’s going on here in Kansas City and throughout the country,” Perkins said.
Here’s the photo evidence:
Just because he wanted to.....thank you @marcuspeters for taking the time to talk to our @RuskinFootball team! #ruskinproud pic.twitter.com/8or7BcfOTh
— Dawn (@eagle_principal) September 24, 2016
“I was impressed,” Perkins said. “I thought he came in really humble. There wasn’t any big fanfare. He kinda snuck in by myself ... Didn’t really want anyone to know he was here. Asked if he could stand on our sideline. I said of course you can. I was really impressed. He encouraged our young men to do what’s right. I thought he gave a great speech to our young men about their futures.”