A number of players on the Minnesota Vikings attended Thursday's memorial for George Floyd in Minneapolis.
The Vikings canceled team meetings and business closed at the club's office at noon CT in observance of the memorial service, which was held less than a half-mile from U.S. Bank Stadium.
Vikings players Alexander Mattison, Adam Thielen, Kyle Rudolph, Mike Hughes, Garrett Bradbury, Aviante Collins, Dakota Dozier, Tajaé Sharpe, Tyler Conklin, Chad Beebe, Cameron Smith and Jake Browning all attended the service to pay their respects to Floyd, who was killed last week while in custody of the Minneapolis Police Department.
"I think it was something that we collectively as a group understood, especially having the dynamic of our locker room, that we wanted to show up," Mattison said, per the team's official website. "We're a team that people in this community look up to and look at in Minnesota, especially in Minneapolis."
The Rev. Al Sharpton delivered a fierce eulogy for Floyd.
"George Floyd's story has been the story of black folks. Because ever since 401 years ago, the reason we could never be who we wanted and dreamed to be is you kept your knee on our neck," Sharpton said. "It's time for us to stand up in George's name and say, 'Get your knee off our necks!'"
The service also drew the Rev. Jesse Jackson, Sen. Amy Klobuchar and other members of Congress, including Reps. Ilhan Omar, Sheila Jackson Lee and Ayanna Pressley. Among the celebrities in attendance were T.I., Ludacris, Tyrese Gibson, Kevin Hart, Tiffany Haddish and Marsai Martin.
"That was definitely one powerful atmosphere. It was like no other that I've felt in my life, the power that I felt in that room," Mattison said. "His family was able to give their testimony for how great of a man he was, and it's sad to see how a life was taken.
"Al Sharpton really hit home with me about how our time is now," Mattison added, per the team's official website. "The time is now for change. We're going to continue to talk about it and figure out ways to make that change as a team and people of this community."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
