Perhaps one of the biggest changes that happens when players move from college football to the NFL is the scrutiny. If you’re a Heisman candidate, you obviously have a camera in your face at all times, but even if you’re a good player, you can fly under the radar a tad. Not in the NFL. Everything you say is scrutinized, documented, and torn apart by fields of analysts and swathes of fans. In some cases, that’s a good thing.
Jets rookie and former Hebron player Jamal Adams is under that scrutiny for a statement he made yesterday at a fan forum in the Jets’ training site.
Adams said this sitting right next to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.
— Andy Vasquez (@andy_vasquez) July 31, 2017
Now, we can probably chalk this up to youthful exuberance and a legitimate love of the game of football, with a statement that goes a little too far. That statement could easily change its meaning in a few years, as far as I know, Adams is unmarried, and doesn’t have any kids. He’s barely old enough to drink, not old enough to rent a car, and can technically still be on his parents’ health insurance.
The entire statement, which can be viewed in this ESPN article, isn’t malicious. Still, the scrutiny here is good. Adams is a role model for many kids all over the nation, and while his passion and drive is what makes him great at what he does, statements like that can be taken literally. It’s mildly troubling at the very least and blatantly dismissive of the real consequences of playing football for decades at worst.
Does this mean that Jamal Adams is a monster who literally wants children to die playing football? No. Of course not. Anyone who says otherwise didn’t watch the full clip. However, he would do well to clarify his statements. There’s already some backlash to what he said, and to be quite honest, it’s for a good reason.
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