Marshawn Lynch is Oakland. Marshawn Lynch has always been Oakland. Even when he was playing for the Buffalo Bills and Seattle Seahawks, Lynch’s Oakland roots were never too far from him. So when Lynch decided to come out of retirement to play for the Raiders, it was not necessarily a huge surprise.
Not only is this the city Lynch hails from, he remembers growing up in downtrodden areas of Oakland. Since then, Lynch has made it one of his primary goals to do whatever he can within the community itself.
Now, preparing for his first training camp as a member of the Raiders, Lynch is given back even more to the community. He’s taking over a soul food restaurant named Scend’s, which has been open since 1967 and was potentially on the verge of shutting down for good.
Current owner Cassie Nickelson turns 80 next year and was simply preparing for the restaurant to retire with her. That’s when Lynch — someone who frequented the establishment as a child — came calling.
“I’m comfortable with him and I like him,” Nickelson said about Lynch, via KTVU in Northern California.
Nickelson also remembers when a young Lynch would come in with a few dollars he had to get some food from the restaurant.
“When he (Lynch) was 9-years-old, he came across the street to get a hamburger and French fries. 25-cent French fries and a 75-cent hamburger,” Nickelson said.
Community is a big part of what’s being built in Oakland today. From the Golden State Warriors doing their thing to Lynch returning home, the professional sports scene in the city has played a huge role. And while both the Raiders and Warriors will be calling new cities home here soon, they both still have a sense of community. Just ask Lynch.