Filipino American sets record in the Super Bowl

Seattle Seahawks place kicker Jason Myers watches one of his Super Bowl record-setting five field goals sail between the goalposts.

Quick: Who scored the most points in Sunday's Super Bowl LX? Hint: He is a Filipino Amercan.

When the confetti fell at Levi's Stadium Sunday, the "12th Man" wasn't just celebrating a second Lombardi Trophy — the Filipino American community was celebrating one of its own. Jason Myers, the Seattle Seahawks' reliable specialist, didn't just participate in Super Bowl LX; he owned it, proving once again that Pinoy Pride has a permanent home on the NFL gridiron.

In a defensive battle between the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots  where every point mattered, Myers was "nails" all night. He accounted for 17 of Seattle's 29 points, drilling field goals from 33, 39, 41, 41, and 26 yards. By going 5-for-5, he stands alone with the most field goals ever made in a single Super Bowl.

"It's made me who I am"

For those of us following the intersection of culture and sport, Myers is more than a stat line. He has been a consistent voice for the AAPI community, especially during the #StopAsianHate movement. 

"I am proud to say I am Filipino," Myers has said. "It’s a tiny little group when you get to pro sports ... once you find out (someone else is Filipino), it’s always met with a smile and a hug."

Besides Myers, there are several other NFL players with Filipino heritagem including:

• Cam Bynum (Safety, Minnesota Vikings): Heavily represents his Filipino heritage, often wearing the Philippine flag and engaging in community activism there.

• Josh Jacobs (Running Back, Green Bay Packers): Features the Philippine flag on his helmet, honoring his maternal grandmother.

• Andrei Iosivas (Wide Receiver, Cincinnati Bengals): Known for his speed and is of Filipino descent.

• Johnny Wilson (Wide Receiver, Philadelphia Eagles): A 6'7" receiver who takes pride in his Filipino roots.

• Sean Rhyan (Offensive Lineman, Green Bay Packers): Proudly honors his Filipino mother and heritage.

• Nikko Remigio (Wide Receiver, Kansas City Chiefs): A speedy receiver and return specialist.

• Tyler Allgeier (Running Back, Atlanta Falcons): A key offensive contributor.

• Tariq Castro-Fields (Cornerback, Carolina Panthers): A defensive back.

• Zaire Barnes (Linebacker, New York Jets): A developing linebacker.

• Dillon Gabriel (Quarterback, Cleveland Browns): Listed as a quarterback with Filipino heritage.

Myers' heritage isn't just a footnote; it's central to his identity. From honoring his great-grandfather who served in the US Navy to hosting free specialist camps in his hometown of San Diego, Myers carries the weight of representation with a quiet, familiar credibility.

Myers continues to give back through free performance camps at his alma mater, Mater Dei Catholic High School, ensuring the next generation of specialists has a path to the pros.

He has used his platform to stand firm with the AAPI community against discrimination, plainly acknowledging his lineage even when the spotlight isn't on him.

Sunday's record-breaking performance cements his place in NFL history, but for Filipino Americans, he’s already a Hall of Famer for making our community seen on one of the world’s biggest stage.

View from the edge

Myers has been increasingly open about his heritage. In a landscape where Asian Americans often feel invisible in professional contact sports, Myers has used his platform—specifically during the NFL's "My Cause My Cleats" initiative—to honor his roots.

"I’m proud of my Filipino heritage," Myers has shared in various interviews and social media posts. "It’s important for me to represent that community and show the younger generation of AAPI athletes that there is a place for them in this league."

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news, views and chismis from an AANHPI perspective, follow me on Threads, on X, BlueSky or at the blog Views From the Edge. 

Sunday Read: Doug Baldwin ponders politics in his future

Filipino American receiver wonders what the will do now that his football career is apparently over.

Football gave Seahawk receiver Doug Baldwin lives a life most people would envy, but he knew there was more to life than football. He was difference maker on and off the field.

Now that the team has released him, there hasn't been any word from the Filipino American football player what he plans to do next in his life. Injuries and surgeries this off season makes a continuation of his athletic career doubtful.

He once expressed an interest in entering the rough-and-tumble world of politics. It would be easy to see him in Congress or the Washington legislature.

“If I'm being completely honest, for a long time I was too self-absorbed to really have my eyes open to things going on around me and in our society,” Baldwin said last year. “I have come a long way in that regard and still have a ways to go, but I'm now able to acknowledge that I have a greater opportunity to truly impact society in some capacity and I feel compelled to do so. I feel like it’s my obligation as a human being on this earth—if I’m occupying space on this earth, if I’m breathing oxygen, then I also need to be helping others who also occupy space and breath oxygen on this earth. 

"So for me, it’s a really silly ‘why.’ The real question is ‘why not?’ If we want to be a society that cares—we had so many conversations about, pick anything, healthcare, the housing crisis, children with cancer, anything—we have so many causes, things that we care about, but yet when it comes down to simple things like injecting empathy in a conversation, we have a hard time doing that. So I really challenge people to stop asking the question of, ‘why would he do that, why would she do that?’ and instead say, ‘why wouldn’t they do that?’ Because again, at the end of the day, if I’m occupying this space on earth, that means somebody else is coming after me to occupy that space, so I want to make sure that I’m leaving the world a better place for my children, my grandchildren moving forward. 

"The question is, why would I not do that?”

Baldwin, whose father was a police officer, made those statements in support of Initiative 940, a bill that eventually was signed into law which called for “law enforcement to receive violence de-escalation, mental-health, and first-aid training, and provide first-aid; and change standards for use of deadly force, adding a ‘good faith’ standard and independent investigation.” 

His work on getting 940 passed is far from being the only time he has used his platform to make a difference.

Baldwin also played a pivotal role in the creation of the Seahawks Players Equality & Justice for All Action Fund, at a time in 2017 where controversy was hovering over the league as some players protested racial injustice during the national anthem.

“I think that was really important, because for the longest time now, we’ve been trying to figure out, what can we do as a team to impact change?” Baldwin said after the Action Fund was launched. “And this is something that’s really tangible to all of us. And again, we really wanted this to be a unified effort. We’ve been trying to make a unified demonstration, a unified message, and now this is a unified action we can all take. And now we’re going to be able to incorporate people outside of the building.”

Later that year, the Equality & Justice for All Action Fund, partnering with the Seattle Foundation, awarded grants ranging from $15,000 to $25,000 to seven non-profit organizations focused on education and leadership programs addressing equality and justice. The Action Fund also partnered with Pearl Jam last year to help fight homelessness as part of the band’s Home Show performances at T-Mobile Park.

Baldwin has also long been one of several Seahawks to use his platform to address issues much bigger than football. Along with former teammates like Sherman and Michael Bennett and others, Baldwin was willing to make intelligent, passionate points on serious topics such as criminal justice reform. And he brought to those conversations unique perspective of having a father who spent more than three decades in law enforcement.

“There has to be change and progress,” Baldwin said in 2016 when players began an initiative to build a bridge between law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve. “Change is inevitable, change will always happen, but you have to apply direction to change, and that’s when there’s progress. Right now what we’re doing as a team, we have a follow through. The difference between a mob and a movement is a follow through. That’s what Harry Edwards told us when he came and talked to us for three hours about the situation that’s going on in our country right now. He said the difference between a mob and a movement is a follow through. So our team is united together to have a follow through. At this very moment, we’re scheduling meetings with the mayor of Seattle, with police chiefs across the state, and we’re discussing ways to just start discussion. That’s the first step, is to have communication. We need to know the perspective of other people. The greatest tragedy for any human being is going through their entire lives believing the only perspective that matters is their own. We need to break down those walls and barriers and get people to see that there’s perspectives outside of their own eyes.”

In the spirit of following through with actions, Baldwin not only helped Initiative 940 get passed into law, but he also played a key role in the players creating a build a bridge task force, and over the past three seasons, Baldwin has had numerous visits with various law enforcement agencies as well as community leaders. In 2017, he co-wrote a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committeewith NFL commissioner Roger Goodell supporting criminal justice reform.

Doug Baldwin testifies on behalf of Initiative 940.

“I think it’s time for us to hold each other accountable, and when I say hold each other accountable I mean to the preamble of the United States Constitution, which states, and I quote, that ‘In order to form a more perfect union, we must establish justice and ensure domestic tranquility,’” Baldwin said in 2016. “So as an American black male in this country, I’m suggesting, calling—I’m demanding—that all 50 state attorney generals call for a review of their policies and training policies for police and law enforcement to eliminate militaristic cultures while putting a higher emphasis on de-escalation tactics and crisis management measures.

“With that being said, I believe that the greatest power we have is in our people. And with great power comes great responsibility. And I’ve said this before, and as Martin Luther King famously said that, ‘We must not become a culture, a society, that is more concerned with order than with justice.’ And I believe that if we are more concerned with order than justice, then we’ll lose both.”

For eight seasons, Doug Baldwin was one of the Seahawks’ best players on the field. His legacy in Seattle, however, will be much bigger than the passes he caught or the games he helped the team win.

“I couldn’t be more proud what he’s doing,” Seahawk coach Pete Carroll said after Baldwin visited the state capitol in 2016 to fight for police reform. “He continues to carry the torch and build a bridge between community and law enforcement. He’s doing some marvelous stuff. I’ve got feedback from people he’s visited with a number of times now, and he continues to be really impressive and on task. I think he’s going to be a legitimate factor bringing about change.”

Since the announcement from the Seahawks three days ago, there hasn't been any comment from Baldwin. Based on his comments, it sounds like the Stanford grad won't be missing from the public eye.
After 960 was passed, Baldwin was asked if his activism was just a one-time thing or would he consider being more politically active, like running for office.

“It is a beginning—unfortunately, my wife would say,” Baldwin said with a grin.

“It is a beginning. I think that, personally, just being involved in a more hands-on way, level, in terms of laws and legislation that impact our everyday lives, really getting invested in what it means to vote, and use your voice and platform to effectuate change in a positive way, it’s hard to go back. Especially when you take so much time to research and to be empathic to opposite viewpoints and see there are opportunities to bring people together, to build bridges and actually have a conversation about things that impact our everyday lives, and to change them for the better. Not only for ourselves in the immediate future, but also further on down the line, for our children and our grandchildren.”

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Seahawks release Doug Baldwin, stalwart wide receiver

My favorite photo of Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Doug Baldwin.

When Doug Baldwin came running onto the field carrying the Philippine flag, I couldn't suppress an involuntary cheer. "Yesssss!" 

The Seahawks parted ways with a pair of franchise icons who helped bring a Lombardi Trophy, two NFC championships and multiple playoff berths to Seattle, terminating the contracts of receiver Doug Baldwin and safety Kam Chancellor with failed physical designations, according to the Seahawks.

Baldwin, a proud Filipino American, belongs in the same category as Los Angeles Rams quarterback Roman Gabriel and Pittsburgh Steelers Hines Ward as three of the best Asian Americans to ever play football at the professional level.

While Chancellor's release was expected, fans still hoped that Baldwin would recover from an injury-riddled season and play for the Seahawks again.

There are plenty of photos of Baldwin catching the ball, running up field eluding tacklers, jumping high to make an impossible catch, but the photo of him carrying that flag is my favorite.

“The Seahawks have made the difficult decision to terminate/failed physical Doug Baldwin and Kam Chancellor,” Seahawks general manager John Schneider said. “These are two of the most iconic players in franchise history and both were instrumental in establishing our championship culture, great examples of competitiveness and leadership on the field and in the community. These legendary players will always be a part of our Seahawks family.”

Baldwin, a difference-maker both on and off the field, didn’t just make the roster as an undrafted rookie in 2011, he went on to lead the Seahawks in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns that year. Over the course of eight seasons, Baldwin set the franchise record for touchdown catches in a season with 14 in 2015, and matched the team record for receptions in a season with 94 in 2016. 

A two-time Pro-Bowler, Baldwin’s 49 career receiving touchdowns are second only to Hall of Famer Steve Largent in franchise history, and his 493 catches and receiving 6,563 yards rank third behind Largent and Brian Blades.

Thursday's release is "likely the end of the road" for Baldwin, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported, solely due to health-related issues. In addition to the groin injury suffered this season, Baldwin battled knee and shoulder ailments.

The release of both Baldwin and Chancellor may mark the end of an era for the Seahawks during which the Seattle franchise was considered among the elite teams in the National Football League. 

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Doug Baldwin disappointed and conflicted on new NFL rule on the anthem

SCREEN CAPTURE / YOUTUBE

DOUG BALDWIN

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS wide receiver Doug Baldwin, a Filipino/American, is clearly disappointed that the NFL owners have placed restrictions on player protests during the playing of the national anthem.

"The NFL just doesn't get it," Baldwin told KIRO-AM radio, the team's flagship station in Seattle, last week. Players began kneeling or sitting during the anthem following the example of former 49er Colin Kaepernick who said he was protesting the police killings of unarmed African/Americans and an unequal justice system.

The new rule states players can stay in the locker room or out of sight if they don't wish to stand for the anthem but if they are on the field, they must stand when thehe anthem's playing. If a player kneels on the field, the club will be fined.

"I don’t think people should be staying in locker rooms. But still, I think it’s good," Donald Trump said on Fox. "You have to stand proudly for the national anthem or you shouldn’t be playing, you shouldn’t be there. Maybe you shouldn’t be in the country. You have to stand proudly for the national anthem and the NFL owners did the right thing if that’s what they’ve done.

"I think the people pushed it forward. This was not me," he continued. "This country is very smart. We have very smart people. That's something that could have been taken care of when it first started. If they are doing that there, they are doing the right thing."

"He's an idiot -- plain and simple," Baldwin said when asked about Trump during Baldwin's press conference of 2018 last week. "I respect the man because he's a human being first and foremost but he's just being more divisive which is not surprising. It is what it is but for him to say that anybody that doesn't follow his viewpoints or his constituents viewpoints should be kicked out of the country, it's not very empathetic. It's not very American-like, actually, to me. It's not very patriotic. It's not what this country was founded upon. So it's kind of ironic to me that the president of the United States is contradicting what are country is really built on."eafness or the disconnect between the NFL and its players.”

Some of the San Francisco 49ers knelt last season to protest the inequities of the justice system.

The owners' actions were not unanimous. 49ers CEO Jed York told reporters that he did not support the policy and abstained from the vote. New York Jets CEO Christopher Johnson said Jets players are free to kneel and vowed his team would not fine players if the team is penalized.

"I do not like imposing any club-specific rules," Johnson Newsday. "If somebody takes a knee, that fine will be borne by the organization, by me, not the players. I never want to put restrictions on the speech of our players. Do I prefer that they stand? Of course. But I understand if they felt the need to protest."

EDITOR'S NOTE: Earlier versions of this post had a typo in the headline. Instead of "convicted," it should have said "conflicted."
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Seahawks' Doug Baldwin honored with MLK award

Doug Baldwin carries a Philippine flag to celebrate his heritage.

ASAM NEWS

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS' Doug Baldwin has been award the Martin Luther King Medal of Distinguished Service Award, reports the Seattle Times.
The Super Bowl champ received the award from King County for his humanitarian service to the local community.

The wide receiver partnered with the City of Renton to build the Family First Community Center project which offers a variety of youth services including sports, art, music and English as a Second Language classes.

He also helped to create the Seahawks Players Equality and Justice for All Action Fund which has raised $1 million to support such causes as building better police relations with the community and for fighting homelessness.

Baldwin wishes more could be done.

“Playing devil’s advocate, I look at it as a negative that there’s still such a need for people to advocate for those who can’t advocate for themselves,” Baldwin said to Seahawks.com. “In a society that’s so advanced with technology and advanced thought, the fact that we’re still so desperately in need of people to advocate for others, it’s disheartening at times.”

King County Councilmember Dave Upthegrove presented the award to Baldwin.

“Dr. King understood the importance of the opportunities athletes had to use their platforms for positive social change,” Councilmember Dave Upthegrove said during the awards presentation, according to the Seattle Times. “Doug’s commitment to service in Renton and all of the communities in King County embodies that vision – and we are better for it.”

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Filipino American football player's letter read at fan's funeral

Doug Baldwin runs onto the field prior to a Seattle Seahawks game.

ASAM NEWS

AN EFFORT by NFL players in Seattle to draw attention to social injustice touched a Seattle Seahawk fan so much he arranged the donation of $25,000 to the group.

The Seattle Times reports that Steven Paschall heard about the player’s efforts while he was receiving treatment for Lymphoma.

The Equality and Justice for All Action Fund was created by players from the Seahawks to transform protest into lasting change.

Paschell himself had started a foundation in his late daughter’s name in 2009. The Kelly Ann Brown foundation has always stood for those who have been marginalized because of their race, gender or sexual orientation.

“Steve was impressed that the players were being proactive, first by drawing attention to the issue through their demonstrations on the field,’’ said Paschalle’s wife Katy Jo Steward. “The Seahawks have been criticized and maligned for sitting or kneeling during the national anthem. They are accused of being unpatriotic and worse. Steve and the rest of the board felt it was important to stand with them.’’

Two days after the donation, Paschall died at age 62.

Doug Baldwin, a starting tight end for the Seahawks who is both Filipino American and Black, wrote Paschall a touching handwritten note of thanks.

Baldwin's letter is below:

:

Baldwin’s letter was read at Paschall’s service.

“For Steve to kind of in his last days request that, that that was something he wanted to do, I don’t know,” said Baldwin. “And then their whole family story and their daughter and her values and the things she cared about, it felt right and I felt compelled to tell them how grateful we were for their support.’’

Trump's attack against pro athletes moves Filipino American football player to speak out

OAKLAND RAIDERS / INSTAGRAM

A majority of the Oakland Raiders chose to remain seated during the National Anthem.

SCORES OF professional football players literally and figuratively took a knee Sunday. 

Last week there were four players taking a knee and a couple of others raising their fists. Yesterday, there were hundreds of players taking a knee, locking their arms in a show of unity or staying in the locker room while the anthem played.

The players were responding to Donald Trump's mocking the players who do not stand during the playing of the National Anthem as a form protest against the inequality in the U.S. criminal justice system.

 At a rally in Alabama last Friday, Trump said, "Wouldn't you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, to say, 'Get that son of a bitch off the field right now. Out. He's fired. He's fired!"

RELATED: Asian American doctor takes a knee against Trump

His remarks was met with a storm of criticism from players, owners and sportscasters, including Filipino/American Doug Baldwin, the Seattle Seahawks' wide receiver. In a prepared statement, Baldwin said:

"I'm not surprised by Trump's comments. He has shown since the beginning, his dehumanized nature. To think he would be anything different ti to not know the reality of his presidency ... He acts like a child craving attention and any attention will do."

Doug Baldwin in a post-game press conference.

The Seahawks were playing at the home of the Tennessee Titans. When the "Star Spangled Banner" was sung, they chose to remain in the locker room.

During a post-game press conference, Baldwin continued to elaborate: "This is a dangerous time. We (players) recognize that.

"We're hoping to unite all people, of all races, all religions, all beliefs to come together; to realize the severity of the situation."  He went on to say that the U.S. was founded in protest and that the freedom of expression is one of the country's core beliefs.

"I'm calling on our people and our country (to realize) that this is greater than just football. This is greater than this Sunday evening's entertainment."

The protest against Trump's racist and anti-immigrant remarks spread beyond football. Over the weekend, catcher Bruce Maxwell of the Oakland Athletics baseball team began kneeling on one knee to express his views. He was the first baseball player join the protest.

Last Friday, during the NBA's media day, Stephen Curry, one of the star basketball players in the NBA's World Champion Golden State Warriors, expressed that if Trump followed tradition and invited the championship team to the White House, he would not visit because he did not agree with Trump's views on race, his reluctance to condemn the white supremacists demonstrating in Charlottesville and his policies against immigrants.

In response, Trump tweeted that he would not invite the team to the White House because of Curry's comments.

The African/American basketball players in the professional basketball league, including some of the biggest names in the sport responded almost unanimously in their criticism of Trump and his views on race. 

Cleveland Cavaliers player LaBron James, who some say is the best basketball player in the world, was particularly outspoken and didn't mince words in expressing his distaste for Trump's positions on race.

A few hours after his tweet, James, expanded his comments in a video. "I think it's basically at a point where I'm a little frustrated, man, because this guy that we've put in charge has tried to divide us once again" James said via his digital company platform Uninterrupted. "Obviously we all know what happened with Charlottesville and the divide that caused. Now it's hit home more for me because he's now using sports as the platform to try and divide us."

The Warriors' management, on Saturdaya in support of its star and in response to Trump's decision to not invite the team, said, “In lieu of a visit to the White House, we have decided that we’ll constructively use our trip to the nation’s capital in February to celebrate equality, diversity and inclusion — the values that we embrace as an organization.”

Derrick Coleman, Atlanta Falcon's fullback, reminded his followers that the controversy is not about the flag or the anthem. Kaepernick

What about Colin Kaepernick, the quarterback that started the kneel down during the national anthem? He still remains unsigned because of a suspected blackballing for NFL owners.

When he began the protest last year as a member of the San Francisco 49ers, he explained:

I’m going to continue to stand with the people that are being oppressed. To me, this is something that has to change. When there’s significant change and I feel that flag represents what it’s supposed to represent, and this country is representing people the way that it’s supposed to, I’ll stand.

This stand wasn’t for me. This is because I’m seeing things happen to people that don’t have a voice, people that don’t have a platform to talk and have their voices heard, and effect change. So I’m in the position where I can do that and I’m going to do that for people that can’t.

It’s something that can unify this team. It’s something that can unify this country. If we have these real conversations that are uncomfortable for a lot of people. If we have these conversations, there’s a better understanding of where both sides are coming from.

I have great respect for the men and women that have fought for this country. I have family, I have friends that have gone and fought for this country. And they fight for freedom, they fight for the people, they fight for liberty and justice, for everyone. That’s not happening. People are dying in vain because this country isn’t holding their end of the bargain up, as far as giving freedom and justice, liberty to everybody. That’s something that’s not happening. I’ve seen videos, I’ve seen circumstances where men and women that have been in the military have come back and been treated unjustly by the country they fought for, and have been murdered by the country they fought for, on our land. That’s not right.

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AAPI Athletes: Doug Baldwin hopes stem cell therapy will help his aching knees

Wide receiver Doug Baldwin doesn't shy away from his heritage. He ran onto the field carrying the Philippines' flag.

ASAM NEWS

SEATTLE SEAHAWK'S receiver Doug Baldwin is the latest NFL player to treat his aches and pains with a new, unproven treatment.

The all-pro former Super Bowl champ flew over to England before the season started to partake in stem-cell therapy.The treatment was a “pre-emptive, preventative treatment to maintain healthy knees” according to The News Tribune.

Baldwin, 29, a Filipino/American, had been looking into the therapy for about two years, stating that he did his research before finding the right company. He made sure to disclose that he was not suffering from any particular ailment or injury, but instead was seeking out the best options for keeping him in shape.

Although stem-cell therapy is still a new trend for football players, most have already taken on other forms of therapy to help treat themselves. In the past two weeks, there have been seven Seahawks teammates who have missed a few practices and games because they were seeking regenokine treatment. Those seven are K.J. Wright, D.J. Alexander, Tyler Lockett, Michael Bennett, Cliff Avril, Luke Joeckel, and Michael Wilhoite.

Regenokine treatment, originated in Germany, is the process of one’s blood being “heated and spun in a centrifuge to enhance its anti-inflammatory properties” and then re-injected to “treat aching joints and/or aid in recovery from surgery”.

Both regenokine and stem-cell therapy are not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The regenokine treatment has unproven results and the FDA, reportedly, has issues with the re-heating of blood. Stem-cell only has one form approved by the FDA, which is the use of “human umbilical cord blood forming stem cells for certain diseases.”
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