Detroit Lions Cancel Practice So Players Can Speak Out on Jacob Blake Shooting

The Detroit Lions canceled practice Tuesday at the request of the players -- so they could take action in the wake of the shooting of Jacob Blake.

Several players -- along with coach Matt Patricia -- instead met with the media outside of the Lions' headquarters in Detroit to give their thoughts on the shooting.

The players made signs -- one reading, "The world can't go on" ... another said, "We won't be silent."

Duron Harmon, a lions safety, gave an emotional speech -- saying, "Some people think were just football players."

"This league, 67%, of its players are African American. Jacob Blake could have been anybody’s brother, cousin, uncle, friend, could have been them. And it wasn’t okay."

Harmon added, "Football is not important today."

Blake was shot multiple times in the back Sunday by police officers in Kenosha, Wisconsin (about a 5-hour drive from Lions headquarters).

Blake's father has said he sustained 8 shots and is currently paralyzed from the waist down.

QB Matt Stafford also spoke on the issue -- saying, "Football was the last thing on our mind at the moment to be honest with you."

"We're all just trying to figure a way out to help or make a change and help out. The last thing we thought about was playing football."