People.com Entertainment Sports Denver Broncos Players Speak at Black Lives Matter Protest: 'We've Got to Keep This Going' "We've got to use our moral compass to make decisions on what's right," said NFL star Von Miller during the protest By Benjamin VanHoose Benjamin VanHoose Twitter Benjamin VanHoose is an Associate Editor on the Movies team at PEOPLE. He's worked at PEOPLE for over three years as a writer and reporter across our Entertainment, Lifestyle and News teams, covering everything from the Johnny Depp v. Amber Heard trial to the Oscars. He regularly covers red carpet events and has interviewed stars like Drew Barrymore, Ryan Reynolds and Kirsten Dunst. He previously worked as a copy editor at Topix Media Lab. People Editorial Guidelines Published on June 8, 2020 12:19 PM Share Tweet Pin Email Linebacker Von Miller leads a crowd at a protest on Saturday in Denver, Colorado. Photo: Michael Ciaglo/Getty Dozens of Denver Broncos players and coaches assembled to lead a large Black Lives Matter march over the weekend. On Saturday, the NFL team showed up to the downtown area of the Colorado capital, sporting black t-shirts that on one side read "Justice for George Floyd," and "If You Ain't With Us, You Against Us" on the back. Many also wore face coverings with "I Can't Breathe" written across in bold white letters. Among the athletes to address the crowds were linebackers Von Miller and Jeremiah Attaochu, who said the team marched in order to "be an agent of change with policy and really taking part in the way this country works." "That's the only way we're going to fix things is if we use our voices to speak out on policies and things that are not allowing our people to be successful to have a chance in life," Attaochu, 27, said, according to ESPN. "We can't keep putting a Band-Aid on an old wound." During his time at the mic, Miller, 31, added: "The time is always right to do what's right. Once we have awareness, we gotta come up out of oblivion. ... We've got to use our moral compass to make decisions on what's right." "My teammates, they’re killing it up here," continued Miller, per KUSA. "I’m in the locker room with these guys each and every day. I’m proud of these guys. I’m proud of Denver, I’m proud of the state of Colorado. We’ve got to keep this going." NFL Players Urge League to Stand Against Racism in Powerful Video: 'We Will Not Be Silenced' Denver Broncos players join people protesting on Saturday in Denver, Colorado. Michael Ciaglo/Getty Denver Broncos safety Justin Simmons holds his fist in the air as he marches at a protest for the death of George Floyd on Saturday in Denver, Colorado. Michael Ciaglo/Getty Denver Broncos players join people protesting the death of George Floyd on Saturday in Denver, Colorado. Michael Ciaglo/Getty Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories The team's participation in the demonstration came a day after NFL commissioner Roger Goodell responded to a video made by several of the league's athletes in which they said they "will not be silenced." In his response, Goodell, 61, formally apologized for how the league handled players engaging in peaceful protests in the past, though he did not explicitly name Colin Kaepernick, who helped spark the kneeling movement as a player on the San Francisco 49ers in 2016. "We, the National Football League, condemn racism and systematic oppression of black people," Goodell said in a video on Friday. "[We] admit we were wrong for not listening to NFL players earlier and encourage all to speak out and peacefully protest." "We, the National Football League, believe Black Lives Matter," Goodell also said. "I personally protest with you and want to be part of the much-needed change in this country." RELATED VIDEO: At George Floyd Memorial, Brother Says: 'Everybody Wants Justice for George. He's Going to Get It' Pink, Kanye West and More Celebs Joining in Protests Around the U.S. and the World "Without black players, there would be no National Football League, and the protests around the country are emblematic of the centuries of silence, inequality and oppression of black players, coaches, fans and staff," said Goodell. He added that the professional football organization will be "reaching out to players who have raised their voices and others on how we can improve and go forward a better and more united NFL family." To help combat systemic racism, consider learning from or donating to these organizations: Campaign Zero (joincampaignzero.org) which works to end police brutality in America through research-proven strategies. ColorofChange.org works to make government more responsive to racial disparities. National Cares Mentoring Movement (caresmentoring.org) provides social and academic support to help black youth succeed in college and beyond.