Former NFL star Marshawn Lynch has joined the ownership group of the Oakland Roots of the USL Championship.
An Oakland native, Lynch, 34, was a prominent advocate for the city during his 12-year NFL career, primarily with the Seattle Seahawks.
"Growing up in The Town, we always could count on the pro teams in this area but with most of those ones that I grew up with gone, I knew the minute I heard about the opportunity to join Oakland Roots, it wasn't just something I wanted to do, it was something I had to do," Lynch said in a statement.