Martellus Bennett Shares Inspiring Message To Young Black Men In Players' Tribune

In the wake of the recent tragedies that have occurred in the U.S. over the past few days, many athletes have taken to social media to express their grief over the deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile and, most recently, the five police officers killed in Dallas.

But Martellus Bennett went to The Players’ Tribune to offer a message of hope.

After police killed Sterling in Baton Rouge, La., and Castile in a suburb of Minneapolis, the New England Patriots tight end shared some of his thoughts on Instagram, but The Players’ Tribune reached out to Bennett and asked if he could expand upon them. That resulted in a piece titled “Dear Black Boy” that uses sports analogies to encourage young black kids to reach their highest potential.

“Dream bigger, Black Boy, Dream bigger!” Bennett wrote in part. “For your dreams are valuable. No one can take those from you. You deserve to dream the wildest dreams and chase those dreams the same way you chase a loose ball in the fourth quarter, a running back breaking free down the sideline or a fly ball in the outfield.

“Set Goals, Black Boy, Set Goals! Slam-dunk those goals the same way you do an alley-oop. For your goals in life are worth so much more than two points. Shatter the glass!

“Exercise, Black Boy, Exercise! Exercise your right to speak your mind, to pursue happiness, to seek peace and prosperity, to avoid conformity imposed by the small minds of society. Exercise until you’re drenched in sweat.”

Bennett’s piece is very thoughtful and well worth a read if you’re looking for a respite from all of this week’s bad news.