Former Huskers talk to UNL students about social justice

On Wednesday, former Husker football players met up with current UNL students to talk about the intersection of race, sports and social justice.

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – On Wednesday, former Husker football players met up with current UNL students to talk about the intersection of race, sports and social justice.

Jay Foreman, who played linebacker for the Huskers in the 90s, says that back in his playing days, issues of race and diversity weren’t often discussed.

“They’re farther along than we were in 1994 to 98,” Foreman said.

Foreman was one of three former Huskers to speak with UNL students, joining Dr. Jamie Williams, who played tight end for the Huskers in the early 80s, and Michael Rose-Ivey, a former Husker linebacker who followed in the footsteps of Colin Kaepernick, kneeling during the national anthem to protest police brutality back in 2016.

“I wouldn’t take anything back from it,” Rose-Ivey told students. “I think the impact it’s had on Nebraska, I don’t think can be calculated.”

Some of the discussion points that were touched on included the NFL’s hiring practices in positions of leadership, the public reaction to Kaepernick’s gesture to protest police brutality, and the portrayal of black culture in media.

The former Huskers spoke in front of the class, before breaking off into smaller groups to have more focused discussions about race and diversity.

Drake Keeler, a senior journalism student, shared what he took away from the conversation.

“When it comes to race and improving those relations in this country, you know, it’s something we have to do together,” Keeler said. “It’s something we have to come together on and work towards.”

Keeler says that he’s seen the university make strides as it pertains to race on campus. He hopes that UNL is able to build off of that momentum.

“I think it’s just [about] keeping it consistent,” Keeler said. “It was very popular to do in 2020, 2021 when these topics were like really prevalent, so I think it’s just [about] keeping the conversation going.”

Foreman says his focus was to share his perspective and learn how things have evolved on campus since his playing days in the 90s.

“To have this going on right now, I’m proud of the University of Nebraska and how far they’ve came from when I was here,” Foreman said.