The Cardinals bench sometime in the 1960s. David Meggyesy #60, on the right

In the fall of 1970 I was playing Harvard college football in the midst of continuing turmoil over US involvement in Vietnam and the denial of civil rights to people of color. I read a book called “Out of Their League” by Dave Meggyesy. It was an eye opener and an inspiration to me. Dave was a star defensive player at Syracuse University and then went on to a career with the St. Louis football Cardinals in the 60’s. He was the Colin Kaepernick of his era, refusing to “properly” salute the flag during the anthem to protest racism and militarism. He was benched and blackballed, but went on to become a leader of the NFL Players Association and its West Coast Director. The Stansbury Forum is proud to run Dave’s letter to NFL players on the eve of this important election.
Peter Olney, Co-Editor of the Stansbury Forum

The late Gene Upshaw, is a 16year Oakland Raider, NFL Hall of Fame member and 25 years Executive Director of the NFL Players Association (NFLPA). I was the Western Regional Director of the NFLPA.

Gene used to say, “it is about our Dignity as players and men”. For us NFL players the issue was and still is, the Dignity of Choice as men, to play NFL football on any team. The NFLPA, the NFL player’s labor union, the players won the 11-year war against the 32 NFL owners in 1993. For the first time Free Agency, meant the players had a choice to play professional football and work for any NFL team.

Before 1993 NFL players were neo-slaves, because there was no Choice. College players were selected, drafted by NFL owners and told where they could to be employed for life and play football as one of the 32 NFL teams.

The Dignity of Choice is a state of mind that all adult individual human beings possess. It is basically saying YES or NO. I believe dignity is the destiny of choice for all people. The transition toward a better world in the future is every individual’s choice and is making a choice itself. And It is the most essential issue in our current lives.

Why we vote and can vote, because we have a choice, because we have and possess the dignity of choice, of choosing. So, teammates and friends, it is your choice.