Shortly before the start of the 2009 season, the New England Patriots traded defensive lineman Richard Seymour to the then-Oakland Raiders in a move that completely caught Seymour off guard. At the time, Seymour struggled somewhat with the change.
However, looking back on it, he realizes the trade had a much more positive impact than he had realized at the time. The trade indirectly led to one of the most significant moves of his life.
“Sometimes, you don’t know what God has planned for you. If I never got traded, I don’t think I’d have become an NFL owner," Seymour told Jarrett Bell of USA TODAY Sports when recalling the trade that sent him from a talented Patriots team to a Raiders team on the opposite end of things.
However, the trade that sent Seymour to the Raiders many years ago helped pave the way for him to achieve NFL ownership today. Bell noted how Seymour represents a growing number of black owners around the league.
"An NFL owner. Let that sink in. Seymour didn’t generate the type of headlines that [Tom] Brady did in buying into the Raiders, and his share doesn’t compare to Brady’s slice, yet it is so significant on multiple levels," Bell said.
"In a league that has never had a Black majority owner, Seymour is part of a growing number of limited partners with stakes in NFL franchises who happen to be Black, the lineup including former athletes Earvin “Magic” Johnson, Serena and Venus Williams, Warrick Dunn and Charles Woodson, in addition to financial power broker Mellody Hobson and former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice."
Seymour noted how critical he and the league believe it is for there to be an increasing number of black owners in a league that is made up primarily of black players. While it will be an uphill battle, it is one worth fighting as the league and the country continue to make progress on diversity.
“Obviously, it’s important to have representation when we speak about a league that is 70% Black,” Seymour said, referring to the player population. “You want representation at every level, from ownership to management, front office, whatever it is. You just want to make sure it’s the right people and that voices are heard," Seymour said.
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