Former NFL star Marshawn Lynch has joined the Oakland Roots-owned group in the USL championship.
A native of Oakland, Lynch, 34, was a prominent defender of the city during his 12-year career in the NFL, primarily with the Seattle Seahawks.
“Growing up in The Town, we could always count on the professional teams in this area, but with most of the ones I grew up with, I knew the moment I heard about the opportunity to join Oakland Roots, it wasn’t just something I wanted to do, it was something I had to do, ”Lynch said in a statement.
Lynch initially retired from the NFL after the 2015 season, but returned to play with the Oakland Raiders in 2017 and 2018, before moving to Las Vegas.
“From the beginning, we tried to create a group of homeowners who were excited about more than just professional sports, but also about Oakland and our purpose,” Edreece Arghandiwal, co-founder of Roots and CMO, said in a statement. “We couldn’t be more proud to welcome someone who has long been an inspiration to Oaklanders and to all of us at Roots.”
The Roots was founded in 2018 and played its first two seasons in the National Independent Soccer Association, the third-tier league in the U.S. professional football system. In September, they announced that they would join the USL Championship at the second level.
Oakland opens the season on May 8 at Phoenix Rising.