Talking About Race Made Two N.F.L. Teammates Partners in Activism

“He’s a confidante for me,” Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan said of Ricardo Allen, left, the team’s safety and founder of its social justice committee.Credit...Todd Rosenberg/Associated PressSix years later, the photo remains one of Ricardo Allen’s favorites. Standing in a Dick’s Sporting Goods, the Atlanta Falcons defensive back is smiling ear to ear, having just been promoted to the active roster after spending most of his rookie season on the practice squad. Matt Ryan, the team’s star quarterback, is walking into the frame to shake his hand.

“Now it’s time to be making some of those big checks,” Allen remembers Ryan saying, referring to the sixfold bump in pay he would receive. “And with…