Bills players to highlight social justice initiatives with helmet decals

The Buffalo Bills will wear decals on their helmets Sunday bearing Black Lives Matter-themed messages for their season opener against the New York Jets, the team announced.

Messages include “Black Lives Matter,” “It takes all of us” and “stop hate.” Players will also wear decals with the names of Breonna Taylor, a Louisville, Ky., EMT whom police killed during a no-knock raid; Ahmaud Arbery, a Black Georgia man who was pursued by three white men and fatally shot while jogging; and Elijah McClain, a Colorado massage therapist placed in a chokehold by police who died after he was sedated with ketamine.

“I think it’s important because whenever you have a situation out there and you’re trying to get people to follow, they need those type of leaders and they need people they look up to for guidance,” linebacker Tremaine Edmunds said in a video tweeted by the team on Saturday.

Ahmaud Arbery.
Black Lives Matter.
It takes all of us.
Elijah McClain.
Stop hate.
Breonna Taylor.

These names and phrases will be on our players’ helmets this season. This is why it matters. pic.twitter.com/9POO35uS8i

— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) September 12, 2020

“I think just us being on the NFL level, a lot of people look up to us, and so we’re promoting these things. If we’re getting those words out, if we’re using our voices and our platform, a lot of people will follow the things that we do,” he added.

The announcement comes the same weekend the Atlanta Falcons will name the late civil rights leader Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.) an honorary captain for their opening game.

“That’s a big deal in terms of the exposure and the impact Congressman Lewis had, not just on Georgia, but on the country overall,” head coach Dan Quinn said.