The message Marshawn Lynch delivered to young players around the league was for them to “Take Care of Yo’ Chicken.”
“I’ve been on the other side of retirement and it’s good when you get over there and you can do what the [expletive] you want to,” he said after last week’s loss to the Packers. “So I tell y’all right now while y’all in it: Take care of y’all bread, so when y’all done you can go ahead and take care of yourself. So while y’all in it right now, take care of y’all’s bodies, take care of y’all’s chicken, take care of y’all’s mental. Because, look, we ain’t lasting that long.
“I had a couple players that I played with that they’re no longer here no more — they’re no longer — so you feel me? Take care of y’all mentals, y’all bodies, y’all chicken, so when y’all ready to walk away y’all walk away and you’ll be able to do what y’all want to do.”
Beast mode likely knew that slogan would take off, which is why he already started selling T-shirts ($39.95) and hoodies ($70) with the “Take Care of ‘Yo Chicken” message through his own website.
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Sports Illustrated once reported that almost eight out of 10 players suffer from financial stress within two years of their retirement.
Lynch was nominated in 2018 for the Walter Payton Man of the Year award for his work with underprivileged youth.
“Marshawn’s impact on the field is easy to see,” said Mark Davis, owner of the Oakland Raiders, where Lynch was playing at the time of the nomination. “But it is off the field where he really makes a difference. While others may talk the talk, Marshawn walks the walk.”
