One after another, the reports gnawed at DeSean Jackson. Senseless killings. Lives snuffed out as a result of police brutality against unarmed African-Americans. Lives cut short as a result of black-on-black violence.
The 29-year-old Washington Redskins wide receiver had conversations with people close to him, wondering what would put an end to it all. But he reserved those discussions for private settings - his home, on his phone with his brother in California, in the locker room with some of his teammates.
But finally, a month after San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick's decision not to stand for the national anthem in protest, Jackson decided to take a public stance as well.