Detroit Lions safety Tracy Walker revealed plans to honor his cousin Ahmaud Arbery during the upcoming NFL season on Tuesday.

According to the Detroit Free Press, the third-year player told reporters he plans to wear a decal with Arbery’s full name on the back of his helmet. He also said he plans to wear Arbery's name on his cleats and shirts with his cousin’s picture that will be worn underneath his jersey on game days.

"I’m just going to just continue to speak on the behalf of what he had went through," Walker said. "Like I said, it’s a hell of a situation. It’s a tough situation but you control what you control, so I feel like that’s the best way I can control what I can do right now and I can use my voice and my platform in that aspect."

As Blavity previously reported, Arbery was killed by three white men while jogging on Feb. 23. The men have been indicted on murder charges and the Department of Justice is currently reviewing whether to levy hate crime charges as well, according to CNN.

Walker and Arbery grew up together in Georgia, sharing a love of football. Walker, who wears his cousin's high school jersey number, told ESPN that Arbery wasn’t fast on the field but “he would hit you” if he got a chance.

Off the field, Walker said his cousin was loved by many for bringing light to tough moments.

"He was a beautiful soul," the Detroit Lions safety said. "He wasn't a hateful person. He was not. I can't name one person he had a beef with growing up. Everybody loved Ahmaud because he was just a clown, a funny guy."

When the recording of Arbery’s final moments circulated on social media, Walker said he watched the clip “no exaggeration, over 100 times.” With each viewing, he said the “gruesome” video made him more frustrated. Instead of remaining silent about his pain, Walker said he and other players are more driven than ever to use their platforms to motivate change.

Several Lions teammates participated in a freedom march honoring George Floyd in June and many more members of the NFL community have called for Arbery’s killers to be brought to justice.

On May 8, what would have been Arbery’s 26th birthday, former and active sports stars penned an open letter to the FBI and DOJ requesting an additional investigation. The letter, endorsed by the likes of Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr and NFL star quarterback Tom Brady, asked officials to step up as true “champions of the defenseless.”

Following the NBA’s lead on player social justice demonstrations, the NFL has decided to permit players to wear pre-approved decals with messages promoting social activism honoring victims like Arbery.

The Lions safety said he wants his cousin’s killers to be held responsible and he’s going to work with the NFL to use his platform to build awareness on issues like police brutality.

"That's the biggest blessing of it all, that we're accepting change and everybody is looking forward to the change. That's the main key, just continuing to try and promote that,” Walker told ESPN.

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