Deshaun Watson will arrive to the Lions game wearing a special jersey. Watson’s jersey will be honoring George Floyd.
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Before the Texans’ game on #Thanksgiving Day, the star quarterback will wear a special jersey to honor the late Houston native.https://t.co/BBYoIzathm
— The Undefeated (@TheUndefeated) November 26, 2020
Watson usually wears a traditional Texans jersey or some other casual pre-game outfit, but for this game he decided to switch it up.
Also read: Reddit NFL Streams: Where to Watch Week 12 NFL Thanksgiving Games for Free Without r/nflstreams
Deshaun Watson Honors George Floyd
Watson’s special pre-game jersey has a lot of meaning behind it. For one, the jersey reads “Yates” instead of Texans, which represents Yates High School which sits just 7 miles away from the Texans’ stadium.
Additionally, the jersey also has the initials “GF” stitched above the high school name. This pays homage to George Floyd, a Houston native, who played football at Yates high school and graduated from there in 1993.
Of course, George Floyd was killed while in the custody of policemen in Minneapolis. His death, and several other incidents of police brutality against the African-American community, sparked a large social justice movement, led by Floyd’s last words: “I can’t breathe.”
Watson’s jersey also honors this as the word “Breathe” appears inside the collar. Watson’s gesture will surely be appreciated by the NFL community. Athletes across all sports having been a major driving force in the fight for social justice and Watson’s jersey choice is just another example of that.
Watson is using his platform in many other ways too. For example, Nike approached Watson with a great opportunity to help kids from Floyd’s alma mater.
Watson readily complied. He also featured in a five-minute film by Nike which showed how Watson was giving back to local communities.
Here is what Watson had to say:
“As someone that cares about these important issues and using my voice to inspire change, collaborating with Nike has given me the platform and resources to make a difference for these young kids. If I can make a positive impression on just one kid, I’m making a difference.”
Also read: Reddit NFL Streams: Where to Watch Week 12 NFL Thanksgiving Games for Free Without r/nflstreams
