In a cavernous conference room in one of the countless convention centers here in Washington, D.C., a crowd of nearly 200 awaits Anquan Boldin's words. They've already watched a documentary, Walking While Black, about racial profiling. And they've just heard the film's director, A.J. Ali, ask Boldin why he decided to walk away from the NFL.
Since his retirement in August, Boldin has been armed with an answer everywhere he goes. And the truth is, he'd prefer to be playing football. He's 37, but it was his heart, not his body, that kept him from stretching his NFL career into a 15th season.