Calais Campbell: 'Our voice is stronger when we’re on the field'

Ravens defensive end wants to play

OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Professional athletes across the NBA, NHL, Major League Baseball, MLS and the WNBA opted to sit out to show support for the social justice movement.

Ravens defensive end Calais Campbell hopes the NFL players forge ahead with their own strategy and that's playing the games.  

"Our voice is stronger when we’re on the field," Campbell said. "Our voice is stronger if we can play well enough to be in that last game in February. I feel like that’s when our voice is strongest. But everybody has their own opinions, and we’ll talk through it and try to make decisions that are best for all of us.”

The Ravens have been at the forefront of the social justice movement. The players conducted "a team unifying session surrounding social justice reform" on Aug. 28. The coaches also canceled all afternoon meetings and media obligations following a morning practice the previous day.

“First off, we have a great locker room – a great group of guys who are all passionate about trying to make change, like real change, and create action items that we can do right now," Campbell said. "Just seeing what’s going on in the world, a bunch of players came together and went and talked to Coach [John] Harbaugh and asked him if we could just … We still wanted to practice – get our practice done – and then just spend some time, and really just express our thoughts and see what comes of it. 

"We had a long meeting. I don’t know how long it was, but it felt like it was a very long meeting. But it was very productive."

The franchise came up with a poignant statement that could serve as a model for other teams.

"With yet another example of racial discrimination with the shooting of Jacob Blake, and the unlawful abuse of peaceful protesters, we MUST unify as a society," the team said in a statement. "It is imperative that all people – regardless of race, religion, creed or belief – come together to say, ‘Enough is enough!’

"This is bigger than sports. Racism is embedded in the fabric of our nation’s foundation and is a blemish on our country’s history. If we are to change course and make our world a better place, we must face this problem head-on and act now to enact positive change."

Campbell has been active in local communities throughout his career. 

In 2019, he was named the NFL’s Walter Payton Man of the Year, and was the recipient of the Bart Starr Award, given to the NFL player who best exemplifies outstanding character and leadership in the home, on the field, and in the community.

Campbell plans to maintain that outreach in his new home in Baltimore.

“I believe that the whole NFL is starting to come around, but the Ravens always try to set the tone," he said. "We try to really make a real difference and really try to set the standard for what we can do. Everybody releases a statement, and as an athlete, I think it’s a cool thing right now to be political. But I don’t want to just do something because it’s cool. I want to do something because it’s impactful. 

"To have that empowerment through the organization, through the ownership and for them to give us not only the ability to do it, but the encouragement to do it, that’s a good feeling. This is an incredible organization. I’m very proud to be a Raven.”