TAMPA, Fla. -- The running joke on the USF football team is that KJ Sails is the "Mayor of Tampa."
Someday, he might be. The East Lake grad organized a "Unity Walk" from Franklin Street to the Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church on East Scott Street. The senior defensive back was joined by teammates, head coach Jeff Scott, and a few hundred other walkers across the local community.
The event shined a spotlight on unity and peace following the death of George Floyd and marches across the country.
"With all of us gathered today, it is no longer a race thing. It’s not a you versus me thing. It’s not a black versus white thing," Sails said through his face covering. "It’s a team thing. Just like sports. We work as a team. We have to make it our duty- that we make this community a safe and better place for our children to live."
St. Petersburg native, USF grad, and current Green Bay Packers receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling also joined the walk.
"Proud of you [KJ]. Tampa is our community. Thank you for using your platform to bring light to the situation," he tweeted Saturday. "And thank you for letting me be apart of it. Be the change. Bad weather didn’t stop the message being delivered from your heart to the community."
