The bullying scandal that embroiled the Miami Dolphins this NFL season put the issue of bullying into the national crosshairs perhaps like never before. It cast football players, the most convenient of high school stereotypes, into the bullying role once again. But it also showed that football players, even at the professional level, can be the victims of bullying just like anyone else. That’s a message, if not a revelation, that hasn’t been lost on the public, the media or those who play in the NFL.

“Bullying doesn’t just happen to kids. You’ve seen it in the NFL this year,” Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice told a crowd at last night’s NFL and USA Networks “Characters Unite” panel at the Time-Life building in New York. Rice and four other NFL stars spoke with Sports Illustrated’s Peter King about their participation in the 3rd annual NFL “Characters Unite” documentary, which premieres tonight at 7 p.m. on USA.

The film, presented this year for the first time by GMC, profiles NFL stars who share their personal experiences of overcoming bullying and other forms of adversity with young people who are going through similar challenges right now.

New York Giants linebacker Mark Herzlich spent time with a young boy named Elijah, a 12-year-old who suffers from cerebral palsy and is a target of teasing and bullying at school. Herzlich shared his story of being diagnosed with a rare form of cancer while he was in college. He was told he might never walk again and heard whispers among his classmates about “the kid with cancer.” In the film, Herzlich provides Elijah with a transformative experience when they go to an equestrian center that uses riding as a therapeutic tool for people living with disabilities.

Elijah confided to Herzlich that he sometimes wanted to punch those bullying him in the face. “But he said, ‘I don’t, because I want to be better than that.’” Herzlich says he was blown away by a wisdom far beyond the boy’s years.

Other stars featured in the film include Bears cornerback Charles Tillman, who faced teasing and critical comments as the constant “new kid”—-the child of a military family who moved around a lot; Packers wide receiver Randall Cobb, who shared a gut wrenching story about coming face-to-face with violence and choosing a different path in life; and Jets center Nick Mangold, who was bullied as an awkward youngster for his unusual size. Mangold also saw another family member become the target of bullying: his sister Holly, who played football. Now she’s an Olympic weightlifter. Mangold agreed that often the thing that makes someone different and the target of bullying, is often the same thing that makes them great.

“I thought back about what [Holly] went through and I had the opportunity to share my story through her,” said Mangold, who worked with a 13-year-old girl who is bullied for pursuing the sport she loves: wrestling. “She took pride in the fact that she was doing something that people didn’t like,” Mangold said of his sister. “She played offensive line, so she wasn’t just out there kicking or something,” he joked. “She didn’t let outside forces affect her.”

Capitalizing on the promotional power of the NFL and NBC, the project has again received some much-deserved attention. Herzlich and Cobb appeared with the boys they’ve mentored and their families on the TODAY show earlier this week. On the show, GMC gifted a new car to the family of the child Cobb worked with and gave a 4-year college scholarship to the family of Elijah, Herzlich’s new friend. Online impressions for the show jumped from 10-15 million to nearly 100 million after the TODAY appearance, according to executive producer Charlie Ebersol.

When the NFL approached GMC about partnering for “Characters Unite,” the car maker saw natural integrations with their “Never Say Never” campaign. The partnership includes a lot of digital and social media tie-ins on GMC’s many outlets as well as lower thirds and bumper promos throughout USA Network leading up to the film. GMC has also had some branding appear on NBC’s “Sunday Night Football” telecasts and their new models are features prominently in the film itself.

“It made sense for us because of launching products, there are a lot of great integrations with the Sierra, the Yukon and just the messaging as a whole with our ‘Never Say Never’ platforms,” says GMC Manager of Sales and Promotion Chris Hornberger. “Talking with Charlie [Ebersol], he understood our goals and objectives.”

Football players made headlines this year for a lot of bad reasons: Bullying, DUIs and an assortment of untoward off-the-field behavior. King pointed out that while the attention to the bad apples is justified and understandable, the league is also filled with a lot of good guys doing the right things off the field, as evidenced by last night’s event. “These five guys are doing things that so many players do,” King said. “By and large, they really use their success and fame to inspire others.”

King wrapped up the panel by asking Herzlich what he wanted the public to know about bullying. His answer was one of candor in its obviousness: “I want them to know that it’s there,” Herzlich said. “Bullying isn’t throwing someone up against a locker,” he said. “It’s constant mental abuse and you see it in marriages, you see it in locker rooms…it’s not just 12 and 13-year-olds.” He talked about the need to turn the tide of bullying. And if a group of NFL stars can help set the tone, it certainly goes a long way. “It’s about making the end of bullying cool instead of making bullying cool.”

Brief Take: NFL players unite to share their personal stories of overcoming bullying and other adversity to help young people facing those challenges today.

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