Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Princeton Seniors Unhappy About Seahawks RB Marshawn Lynch Speaking at Class Day
Princeton University recently announced Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch will be the guest speaker for Class Day, which will take place the day before Princeton’s Commencement. The event is organized by members of the senior class to recognize their contributions during their time at the institution.
Class Day co-chairs Jonathan Haynes, Jaylin Lugardo, and Caleb Visser informed the senior class "Beast Mode" would be the keynote speaker by email.
“Mr. Lynch’s sustained professional excellence is not the only reason we are excited to have him serve as our Class Day speaker. His substantive work in communities stands alongside his on-field success,” the students said. “Our goal was to invite a speaker who embodies the various experiences we have shared as a community during our Princeton tenure, someone whose professional and personal passions speak to the service-focused and intellectually rigorous interests core to the University.”
Lynch, a 12-year NFL veteran who played for three different teams (Seahawks, Bills, and Raiders), won a Superbowl in 2014 and has made the Pro Bowl on five separate occasions. "Beast Mode" currently ranks 29th on the all-time rushing list with 10,413 yards, according to pro-football-reference.com.
He has also dedicated his time in the off-season throughout his career to uplifting his community through his Fam1St Family Foundation. In 2018, he provided 3,000 smartphones to individuals who were on the verge of becoming homeless on the West Coast.
“Before we began the selection process, the Class Day Committee reflected deeply on shared values and variety of experiences of the Class of 2020 and our time at Princeton,” Haynes said. “We ultimately wanted to prioritize a speaker that moved beyond rhetoric in their personal and professional lives but actively integrated their values into their practice. With those considerations, I could not think of a better speaker than Marshawn Lynch.”
Lynch can provide numerous life lessons to this year’s seniors at Princeton. He is one of very few athletes to have a successful career and life after he invested in businesses like his “Beast Mode” apparel, restaurant Rob Ben’s, and “Beast Mode” mobile. According to CNBC.com, Lynch earned an estimated $5 million per year in endorsements and doesn’t plan on spending any of the $50 million earned during his NFL career.
Unfortunately, not all members of the senior class were pleased to discover Lynch will be speaking at Class Day and may not be too enthused about being advised to "protect their chicken." They even took out an op-ed to voice their frustrations.
“Saying that Lynch ‘unapologetically embodied and advocated for our own identities and values’ without actually consulting us, the Princeton community, is paradoxical and thus questionable,” the op-ep said. “We do not mean to criticize this choice of speaker in particular, but rather want to call attention to the opaque selection process for Class Day speakers.”
While the students did commend Lynch for his NFL career and philanthropic contributions to the city of Oakland, they took issue with interactions with the media during his career.
“Among articles that praised his NFL career and philanthropic contributions, we came across articles discussing Lynch’s reticence with the media and his terse responses at press conferences,” the letter said. “In 2013 and 2014, for example, Lynch was fined $50,000 and $100,000 for refusing to speak to the media. During the 2015 Superbowl Media Day, Lynch famously responded to multiple questions with variants of ‘I’m just here so I won’t get fined.’
In a desperate need for a running back after injuries to Rashaad Penny and Chris Carson, the Seahawks re-signed Lynch on December 24 for their playoff run. After coming out of retirement, he helped the Seahawks advance past the Eagles in the wild card round, but the team fell to the Packers in the divisional round.
Currently a free agent, it is up in the air if Lynch will play next season. When asked about him potentially suiting up for Seattle in 2020, coach Pete Carroll replied, "We'll see. You never know."
General manager John Schneider kept the door open for Lynch to return as well, adding, “I don’t know that. We’ll see how the offseason goes.”
Set to become a free agent on March 18, Lynch for now will focus on his upcoming plans to speak at Princeton and operate his several successful businesses. Given his propensity for changing his mind on a whim, coming back for a 13th season shouldn't be ruled out.
