DALLAS COWBOYS

The Challenge

Few people like mixing football with politics, least of all the players. But protests are a reality of the times. Unfortunately, even with the best intentions, messages about real challenges often get lost in controversy.

The Dallas Cowboys players did not want to get mired in that chaos. They needed to break through the noise. Instead of making trite public relations statements, they wanted to make positive impacts. How could they flip the script from discussion to action, with an emphasis on what everyone wants - improved minority communities and restored relationships? In other words, how could they shift the focus from protest to progress?

The Solution

We started by surrounding the players with input from Dallas-Fort Worth community leaders - police chiefs, judges, charity groups, etc. That was the Huddle 4 Good origin. Through raw and difficult conversations, everyone was honest about differing views, but committed to working together toward active improvement.

Quickly, the players discovered many local programs already making great advances in community and police relationships, lowering recidivism, increasing employment opportunities, and expanding childhood development for families in need.

The #H4G strategy is to leverage the celebrity of the players. By spotlighting the effective programs in a series of short films, the players can use their influence to dramatically increase the support for and impact of these programs.