Before first raising his fist in protest of social injustice early in the 2016 NFL season, Philadelphia Eagles safety and NFL Players Coalition leader Malcolm Jenkins got approval from an Air Force veteran.

That's according to ESPN's Tim McManus, who this week profiled Jenkins' emergence as the unofficial spokesman for league-wide peaceful protests and accompanying community activism in 2017.

The decision to join Kaepernick in protest by raising his right fist above his head during the anthem -- a gesture that he has performed since Week 2 of the 2016 season -- was not made lightly. Jenkins has friends and family in the military; his grandfather served. If he was going to demonstrate, he first wanted permission from Tech. Sgt. Edileerto Malave. 

As McManus notes later in his story, Jenkins and Malave, an Air Force flight engineer, developed a friendship after meeting at a Wounded Warriors event, and the latter eventually flew an American flag in honor of the then-New Orleans Saints defender during a deployment to Africa. That flag ultimately ended up in Jenkins' home, hung right below the Pro Bowler's TV, and it was just one of several reasons Malave knew his NFL friend was not trying to attack the country or its national anthem when Jenkins came asking Malave about protests.

Jenkins, per McManus, said he "got his approval" to raise a fist in protest -- something he's done during every pregame anthem of 2017, not to condemn America or the flag but rather to spark conversation of social inequalities. And spark conversations he has, initiating a meeting between NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie, fellow players and local law enforcement, not to mention campaigning for criminal justice legislation during the season.

McManus added that Jenkins was not initially a fan of the kneeling protest by former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who's been encouraged by veteran Nate Boyer to have a "grown-up conversation" with protest critic and President Donald Trump. The Eagles safety was reportedly concerned that Kaepernick's attempts to raise awareness of police brutality would put the spotlight on the wrong issues -- and that's essentially what happened after Trump repeatedly accused NFL players of "disrespecting the flag" rather than calling for equality in peaceful demonstrations. But Jenkins has since warranted support in player and league circles for his leadership in turning protests into progress.

As McManus noted, some players, like the Seattle Seahawks' Doug Baldwin, even consider Jenkins a "Martin Luther King" or "Malcolm X" of the movement:

Philadelphia has become the command center for social activism in the NFL. Jenkins often leads the communication efforts across the league -- from text chains to conference calls to meetings -- and has transformed all of the passions and personalities of the players into one voice with one message, which he often is called on to deliver.