Jaguars’ Chris Conley: ‘I Think That We Have Grown Closer Together’

Jaguars WR Chris Conley helped lead the team on a peaceful march through the city on Friday, an event that could help the team come even closer together.

Many things can galvanize an NFL locker room. For last year's Jacksonville Jaguars team, the men inside the walls of TIAA Bank Field grew closer to one another as they weathered the storm of seemingly non-stop drama. But what about this years team?

If there is any event that will unite the Jaguars locker room not as players, but as human beings, it will likely be the events that unfolded in Jacksonville on Friday. At 9:04 a.m. on Friday, members of the Jaguars roster, coaching staff, administration, and front office joined together at TIAA Bank Field on Friday to peacefully demonstrate throughout the city in Black Lives Matter shirts, protesting against police brutality and the prevalent culture of racism in the United States. 

For the Jaguars, it was a chance to put football aside and come together on an issue that is far more important and has a far longer reach. It gave players a chance to stand up for one another and also see different viewpoints, and it also gave them the chance to examine the hearts and characters of their coaches and front office members, many of whom stood beside them on Friday.

“I think it grows people together. Relationships are, that is how humans are built. We are built to be relational. To know people, to grow to love them, and I think that this brings people closer together," Jaguars wide receiver Chris Conley said following the march. 

"Obviously, the football season is moving ahead of us and we are excited about it, but that is not the most important thing in life. Football is always a means to an end, for everybody. It is an entertainment for people, people want it to be their all in all. Fortunately for me, it is not. So, for a lot of people here, football is a phase and they will go on to live their lives and this is something that can have a lasting impact. I think that we have grown closer together and we will continue to grow closer together as we have these conversations. The more we get to know each other the more we can grow to love somebody.”

The Jaguars' march came a week following the death of George Floyd while in police custody, a senseless death which has sent shock waves through the country and the rest of the world.

Floyd died last Monday in the custody of Minneapolis police after police officer Derek Chauvin pinned him down with his knee on the back of his neck. The incident was captured on a video that went viral, showing Floyd repeating stating that he couldn't breathe.

Chauvin, who was one of four police officers detaining Floyd at the time, was arrested last Friday and is now charged with second-degree murder. The other officers, J. Alexander Kueng, Thomas Lane, and Tou Thao, have been arrested and charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder and aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter.

Since Floyd's death, there have been protests throughout the United States to push back against police brutality and racial inequality, with other victims such as Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and many others also being advocated for.

21 Jaguars players showed up to Friday's march, something which obviously left a mark on Conley, the rest of the organization, and the city as a whole. It showed to many that the Jaguars locker room already has strong bonds, but they are willing to grow together even more during a time of injustice.

For the Jacksonville community, and communities around the country, the Jaguars could be seen as an important example to follow. Conley believes there will be at least a significant and noticeable impact inside of the Jaguars' locker room.

“I think that the community can learn that the Jaguars can get behind each other. You know the past couple of days have showed that, even in our locker rooms, though they have been touted as places that there is no racism, that there is complete unity, but that’s just not true," Conley said. "Being able to admit that we can grow is a hallmark of change and I think that needs to happen in locker rooms, as well. I don’t know the effect that this will have on the community, but I know that it will have an effect on the locker room. I know I can look at guys who were here today, I can look at them in the eyes and say, ‘Thank you. Thank you for listening. Thank you for wanting to know more,’ and I think that in it of itself makes an impact in our locker room and in this building.”