By Xander Welty ’21

THE ROUNDUP

In early August, The National Football League launched an initiative called “NFL Votes” that will promote civic engagement through players, coaches, legends, teams and league personnel. 

The NFL Votes initiative focuses on three key components: voter education, voter registration and voter activation. This initiative is a part of the league’s social justice program called Inspire Change. 

Recently, the NFL has tried to amplify the voices of their players and the issues they feel are the most important to them or that they want to see a change in. 

“Through meeting with players and [NFL] legends to better understand causes and issues they are passionate about, we found a consensus around the importance of voting. That’s why we’re putting the power of our platform behind NFL Votes, aiming to inspire and encourage people to get educated about the voting process, to get registered to vote, and to ultimately exercise their right to vote,” said Commissioner Roger Goodell in a statement by the NFL.

For the initiative, the NFL partnered with three non-profit organizations, I am a Voter, RISE to Vote and Rock the Vote.

These non-profits were picked based on their individual mission and their ability to engage communities.

Senior Nicco Raffa ’21 thinks that these NFL teams and players pushing for voting can be a good thing in various ways.

“I think NFL players are already great leaders in their communities and if they encourage people to vote, they will be making even more of a positive change in these cities and states,” Said Raffa. 

Max Dickens ’21 also saw no downside in the NFL  promoting civic engagement across the country.

“There is no reason for the NFL to not promote voting as many people a year skip out on their civil right to vote and don’t make the most of our rights as citizens of the United States,” said Dickens.

Dickens and Raffa both believe that if more community leaders like NFL players get involved in the promotion of voting information, then more people would exercise their right as citizens to vote.