Benjamin Watson: Heart & Grace

"During the 2005 NFL playoffs Benjamin Watson, a 255-pound tight end, ran more than 100 yards to prevent one of the league’s fastest players from scoring. A decade later football fans still cite that play as one of the best examples of hustle in sports history.Watson, a father of five homeschooled children, enjoyed his best season in 2015, but some know him for his thoughtful essays on cultural topics ranging from Ferguson, Mo., unrest to North Carolina’s bathroom bill, and for his book Under Our Skin: Getting Real About Race—and Getting Free from the Fears and Frustrations that Divide Us. With the 2016 NFL season fast approaching, I questioned Watson at the Baltimore Ravens training facility: Here are edited excerpts."