Texas' DeMarvion Overshown Sitting out Team Activities to Advocate Social Change

Texas linebacker DeMarvion Overshown is stepping away from football to become an advocate in the fight for social justice.  

Overshown wrote on Twitter that "until real action is taken and changes are made I will be sitting out all team activities," and added he "can not continue to perform for a program that doesn't show me the same love and support I do for them."

The statement comes in the wake of a group of Texas student-athletes from seven different sports banding together to ask the school to change the names of some campus buildings bearing names of known racists and replace "The Eyes of Texas" as the official fight song, among other demands.

Overshown specifically cited the work done by Maya Moore since she put her WNBA career with the Minnesota Lynx on hold last year as an inspiration to him. 

Moore helped get Jonathan Irons' 1998 conviction on burglary and assault charges overturned after he spent 22 years in prison. He was released from prison on Wednesday. 

Overshown is entering his junior year at the University of Texas. He has played in 17 games for the Longhorns over the past two seasons and ranked fourth on the team with seven tackles for loss in 2019.