Malcolm Jenkins keeps paying forward
Just before starting training camp in his first season with the New Orleans Saints, Malcolm Jenkins ’09 spent time talking with members of an Ohio State student organization created by and for Black male student-athletes.
Andrew Ina
The phrase “paying forward” is more than mere words to Malcolm Jenkins ’09.
It’s a way of life for the former Buckeye football star, evident in his activism for social justice and racial equality throughout his 12 seasons in the NFL.
Jenkins, as he has often done, paid forward once again to his alma mater on July 21 when he appeared on a Zoom call with 33 members of Redefining Athletic Standards (RAS), a student organization of male Black student-athletes at Ohio State.
The discussion between Jenkins and current Buckeye athletes fit the aim of RAS, which students created in 2018 to help members define themselves beyond sports through the discussions of individual and societal issues.
“It was genuine. He connected with us really well,” says Myles Marshall, a second-year studying finance who’s on the track and field team. “He was having a personal conversation with us. He wasn’t just lecturing. It did a lot for me. He not only realizes what Ohio State did for him, he also knows that he can come back and talk to someone like myself and make a difference.”
Jenkins took questions from RAS members for 35 minutes, covering topics such as systemic racism, what “defunding the police” means to him, and what individuals can do to effect positive change in society.
“It was a very special night,” says Channing Chasten, a soccer player and second-year studying communication. “We are very grateful and blessed to have him do that call. We know he’s a popular man and many want his take on issues in the world. It meant lot to us. We appreciated that he was so engaged and we were able to ask multiple questions. It’s exciting to have him as a resource.”
