Kelvin Beachum makes a living by protecting quarterback Kyler Murray from sacks, but the offensive lineman’s life mission is to better the world off the field.
It’s why Beachum joined the seventh annual Rise Super Bowl Critical Conversation Wednesday night, a discussion featuring Miami Dolphins defensive back Jason McCourty, Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard and Rise CEO Diahann Billings-Burford.
NFL Network’s Jim Trotter moderated the conversation about diversity in hiring, systemic racism, education inequity, voter suppression and more.
With the NFL’s diversity policy among head coaches and general managers a major topic, Beachum said that players with the most influence must speak up about the situation.
“As an offensive lineman, there is only so much I can do,” Beachum said. “The quarterback has the most say and the most power within the locker room, to be honest with you. If you saw what happened in Buffalo, their head coach said ‘Our quarterback would be part of the decision-making for the next offensive coordinator.’ The power, even though people don’t want to say this, is always in the hands of the quarterback.”
Does Beachum think the league could do things better? Without question. Does Beachum want to see changes in upper-level management within the NFL? No question. But he feels encouraged since the issues have generated more attention now than in the past.
“I would say to have the conversations we’ve had with owners, that’s a start,” Beachum said. “I don’t think you could have this conversation with owners 15 years ago, and that’s just the truth. To even have this conversation in a public setting and be something the NFL promotes are steps in the right direction.”
Beachum’s well-documented charity work focuses much on inequalities and education. He donated 40-50 pieces of technology to underserved Arizona schools in November through The Digital Divide Donation with teammate Dennis Gardeck. Through his initiative “Kelvin Konnects,” Beachum looks to provide students with careers within the science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics fields.
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