Miami Dolphins players urge fans to vote this Election Day: 'Every voice matters'
MIAMI GARDENS — Calais Campbell was starting his NFL career with the Arizona Cardinals in 2008 when he made a rookie mistake.
He didn’t turn in his paperwork in time to vote in Arizona.
But he wasn’t about to sit out a presidential election.
“So I flew back to Florida to vote on Election Day,” he said. “And stood in line for like an hour and 20 minutes to vote.”
Campbell is one of several members of the Miami Dolphins who have recorded public service announcements urging fans to not just be spectators on this or any Election Day. Running back Raheem Mostert not only is in a current ad with a handful of NFL players, but he’s also in a South Florida spot with members of our other pro teams.
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All the ads are neutral when it comes to Kamala Harris, Donald Trump or other candidates and issues, with one exception: Remaining on the sidelines on Election Day, the players say, should never be an option.
“It’s everyone’s duty as a citizen to make sure your voice is heard,” said fullback Alec Ingold, who has recorded a PSA in the past. “I think being part of a democracy like this — definitely not everyone gets to grow up with those rights. So being able to voice your opinions and how you see things I think is extremely important. And every vote matters and every voice matters.”
MiamI Dolphins players do talk politics at the table
As anyone with a large family knows, talking politics at the table can be risky business. But Ingold said Dolphins players manage to pull it off, even in this charged political climate.
“It’s a lunchroom topic, you know what I’m saying?” Ingold said. “Locker-room topic is a little bit free-flowing football ideas and opinions. And then the lunchroom is more so like real life, what’s happening in the real world.”
Consider that there are 53 players on the active roster. Now add dozens more on the practice squad and injury lists. Then consider that they come from all walks of life and all parts of the country. It’s a melting pot, but players say they can talk politics without things getting heated.
“Everybody has their own views and ideas, ideologies behind everything,” Mostert said. “If guys want to share and put their thoughts into it, it’s always an open discussion. It’s never really bashing anybody because at the end of the day, we’re all brothers in the locker room.”
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While some professional athletes and coaches have no qualms about sharing their political views — there’s a reason T-shirts exist backing the “candidacies” of NBA coaches Gregg Popovich and Steve Kerr — it’s no secret many keep their views to themselves to avoid soiling their “brand” with half the population.
San Francisco 49ers edge rusher Nick Bosa, on the other hand, inserted himself into a live postgame TV interview with teammates by proudly pointing to his “Make America Great Again” cap without saying a word. Asked about it minutes later by reporters, Bosa wouldn’t go into detail on why he did it and possibly risked running afoul of NFL rules.
“He can do what he wants to do, but I definitely would have wanted to hear what he had to say about it,” Dolphins safety Jevon Holland said on the “Breakin’ House Rules” podcast. Holland added, “He brought it up.”
Campbell said after his cross-country trek to make sure his voice was heard back in ’08, he has not missed an election.
“Not just presidential elections, but local elections as well,” Campbell said. “Learn who does what and what people are running on and what you believe in and then you vote based off of what you think is best for the community. They have a bigger impact on you than the presidential election would.”
For NFL players, the definition of a “local” election isn’t always as obvious as it ought to be. Ingold is from Wisconsin, began his career with the Oakland Raiders, continued it with the Las Vegas Raiders and now plays in Miami. He’s registered to vote in Florida and estimates many veterans on the Dolphins established residency here as well. The younger players who are still living in apartments, he said, are more likely to have their primary residence where their parents live. They’re likely to vote by mail, since taking the steps Campbell did is a bit extreme.
Running back Jeff Wilson admitted he didn’t register to vote until a year or two after he became eligible. But now he’s convinced it’s his duty.
“It’s really when I had my son,” said Wilson, whose son is 5. “That’s what really started making me look at it totally differently because it’s like I’m not only making this decision for myself, I’m making it for my son. All that stuff is going to affect the man’s life.”
After months of political speeches, hand-wringing and pontificating, Election Day is finally here. How will players spend the day? Ingold plans to take his wife to dinner, then “hang out with the dogs a little bit” and have the election returns on in the background.
Mostert has a different plan.
“I’ll be glued,” he said.
Regardless of what happens, at least several players will know they’ve done their part to let fans know elections are not strictly a spectator event.
Dolphins reporter Hal Habib can be reached at hhabib@pbpost.com. Follow him on social media @gunnerhal. Click here to subscribe.
This story was updated because an earlier version included an inaccuracy.
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This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Miami Dolphins locker room a melting pot of views, ideas on politics
