Earlier this week, Doug Baldwin shared on Twitter that Seahawks players "will honor the country and flag in a pregame demonstration of unity" ahead of Sunday's regular-season opener against the Miami Dolphins at CenturyLink Field, an effort Baldwin and Seattle players hope will "express a desire to bring people together."
On Saturday, Baldwin followed up with another tweet unveiling the players' plans, using a Martin Luther King Jr. quote to introduce a 42-second black and white video that slowly panned over the faces of Seattle's roster, as Baldwin's voice delivered the message below.
"We are a team comprised of individuals with diverse backgrounds, and as a team we have chosen to stand and interlock arms in unity," Baldwin said. "We honor those who have fought for the freedom we cherish, and we stand to ensure the riches of freedom and the security of justice for all people. Progress can and will be made, only if we stand together."
Before Baldwin's announcement, Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll said he was "so proud" of the process that Seattle's players went through to determine what they would do this weekend.
"They're going to be very thoughtful, very respectful, honoring that which should be recognized," Carroll said following Friday's practice. "I'm just really proud of how they've gone through it and they have a conscience about what they're doing. They really want to do the right thing and be right. I'm just proud of the way they've gone through it. These are just young men who are growing and they're trying to figure out the world themselves, too. They want to try to make sense of how they can have impact and affect others.
"I just couldn't be more proud of the way they've gone through it and what has happened to the process."
Carroll said he has been involved in the "wide-open conversation" with Seattle's players "whenever I can be, to mentor or whatever, to answer questions and try to give insights." But that Sunday's demonstration of unity has been a player-led movement by "a bunch of guys."
"What has been remarkable is the interaction and care that they have extended to one another with different positions as they have gone through the conversation," Carroll said. "This has been a tremendous process. I think it's ongoing, they'll continue to grow and they want to do very meaningful things. Our guys are so active in the community already, if you guys take note of that at all. Our guys have a big conscience and they do all kinds of great work, reaching out. They will continue to do that. I think it's been a very meaningful process and I think you'll see that."
Asked why the Seahawks, out of the NFL's 32 teams, are the only club to openly plan a demonstration of unity, Carroll said: "I think it's just this collection of guys. I think it's this collection of people. I think it's also the fact that they have been recognized as individuals who can stand up for themselves and make choices and do the right thing, and be very effective in the areas that they want to work. They have a big conscience and they care. I don't know what's going on anywhere else, I just know about us. We've been together for a long time and we have exceptional leadership and very bright kids."
Kickoff for tomorrow's game between the Seahawks and Dolphins is set for 1:05 p.m. PT, with television coverage on CBS (channel 7 in Seattle).
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