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FORMER NFL STAR PLAYER TURNED ACTIVIST, KENNY STILLS, REWRITES THE PLAYBOOK ON STRENGTH, PROTEST, AND RADICAL HEALING IN EXPLOSIVE NEW MEMOIR

The Cost Of Conviction & The Power Of Peace: Kenny Stills Breaks Silence On The Toll Of Activism And The Path To Inner Stillness

Kenny Stills, Sports, Sports News, Sports Entertainment, Akashic Books, Edge of Sports, NFL, Colin Kaepernick, NFL wide receiver

He was the on-field face of a movement that shook the world. Now, former NFL wide receiver Kenny Stills is redefining what it means to be strong. Edge of Sports (an imprint of Akashic Books) is proud to announce the publication of STILL GROWING, STILL LEARNING, STILL ME (Pub Date: Jan 6, 2026), a groundbreaking memoir that charts Stills’ evolution from an NFL deep-threat to a champion of mental health and psychedelic healing.

For years, the public knew Stills as the fearless playmaker who took a knee alongside Colin Kaepernick—a man who sacrificed professional stability to protest police brutality and systemic inequality. But behind the headlines, the arrests, and the locker room politics, Stills was navigating a quiet, profound journey of his own.

WHAT THIS MEANS FOR THE CULTURE: This is more than a sports book; it is a cultural intervention. In a society that often demands Black men sacrifice their bodies for entertainment and their minds for the cause, Stills flips the script.

  • The Evolution of Protest: Stills moves the conversation from fighting against systems to fighting for inner peace.
  • Redefining Masculinity: By opening up about therapy, vulnerability, and the use of psychedelics for healing, Stills offers a new model of strength for the next generation.
  • The “Empty Cup” Theory: The book serves as a vital reminder to activists and changemakers that you cannot pour from an empty cup—wellness is a requirement for revolution.

KEY THEMES & EXPLOSIVE REVELATIONS:

  • The Cost of Conviction: Stills takes readers inside the NFL’s reaction to the protests, his public call-out of Dolphins owner Stephen Ross, and his 2020 arrest at the home of the Kentucky Attorney General while demanding justice for Breonna Taylor.
  • Beyond the Gridiron: The difficult transition of shedding the “athlete” identity to find the human being underneath.
  • The Psychedelic Journey: A candid look at how alternative therapies and psychedelics played a crucial role in his mental health recovery and spiritual awakening.

IN HIS OWN WORDS: “I’ve learned that strength isn’t just perseverance—it’s also self-awareness, healing, and prioritizing our well-being,” says Kenny Stills. “Activism, like life, can take a toll on the mind and spirit… Caring for our mental well-being is just as vital as taking a stand.”

Still Growing, Still Learning, Still Me includes a stunning 24-page full-color insert documenting Stills’ life from the stadium lights to the frontlines of justice.