MLK Family Members Tapped As Buccaneers Captains for Playoff Game vs. Eagles

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will honor the late civil rights icon at Monday’s game against the Philadelphia Eagles.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will have very special guests as the team’s honorary captains on Monday night for their wild-card playoff game against the Philadelphia Eagles.

The game is being played on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and the Buccaneers invited members of the late civil rights leader’s family—Martin Luther King III, Arndrea Waters King and Yolanda Renee King—to join the team on the field for the coin toss before the game.

The NFL recently committed its support to Realizing the Dream, an initiative led by the King family. This is the first time Dr. King’s family will attend an NFL game on MLK Day.

“Having the King family in attendance to celebrate the remarkable legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on this special evening is an honor and a privilege,” co-owner Darcie Glazer Kassewitz said in a press release. “The work being done by the Martin Luther King III Foundation is truly inspirational and aligns with the Buccaneers’ social justice mission to effect meaningful and positive change through purposeful dialog and impactful programs.”

Video boards in Raymond James Stadium will show videos of Dr. King throughout the game. Additionally, the Bethune-Cookman University concert chorale will perform at halftime.

The Bucs (9–8) and Eagles (11–6) are scheduled to kick off at 8:15 p.m. ET Monday in Tampa, and ABC/ESPN has the television broadcast.