Are NFL Players Role Models?

A lot of kids have dreams of playing football in the NFL.  For the most the most part, they look up to the current NFL stars as role models.  When we look at how the media portrays the typical athlete today, do we want our children replicating the off field negativity that seems like is happening more and more.  It seems like we see arrest and suspensions everytime we tune  into the NFL network.  What we don’t hear about is the positivity that the majority of these athletes spread around their communities.  If the media would find the stories of the good works that are done could we consider these guys role models?           

        Parents have to ask themselves if it’s okay for their kids to look up to the players now. If it’s okay for young kids to hang up posters of their favorite players on their bedroom wall.  Lately it seems like you need to do a background check before you even buy a jersey.  If my kid had an Aaron Hernandez jersey it would have to be thrown in the dumpster.  There is no reason that children should idolize a man who murdered two people. Former Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice pushed and punched his fiancé, Janay Palmer. Everything was caught on camera for the whole world to see what Rice did and now some kids see their favorite NFL player punching a woman.  I don’t know the situation and what exactly happened, but I don’t think there is ever a reason for a man to punch a woman like that.  These are just two of the most relevant recent cases, there are a plethora of different stories on domestic violence, drug abuse, assault, etc that NFL players have committed.  I personally think that we should give athletes 3 strikes depending on how harsh the crime is.  3 offenses and you are kicked out of the league 0 tolerance.  If the commissioner changed the rules it would cause a change in the athletes’ lives.

    On the contrary, there are numerous athletes that are good for kids to look up to. Some use their fortunes to give back to the community, while others simply keep a clean record and show how hard work can pay off. These men should be admired and receive more attention for their positive behavior.  Following the horrific damage due to Hurricane Katrina, Brees and other New Orleans Saints players helped many local residents rebuild their homes and their lives.  The Brees Dream Foundation in 2003, which has helped raise money for everything from cancer research to education to underprivileged youth2 is an example of something he helped upstart.  He has been a positive role model for many years.  Cortland Finnegan is another example of a good role model.  He started the ARK 31 Foundation, which stands for Acts of Random Kindness. The foundation benefits the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society as well as the Special Olympics2.  On the field Finnegan play with a lot of passion, off the field he has never been in trouble and does great things for his community.  These are just two off the thousands of positive events that NFL athletes are a part of.

    Even with all of the negativity we are encountering in the NFL remember there are also lots of positives we can find.  So parents do your research and show these children that some of their favorite players also go out and perform great acts for the community. Make sure that we are showing our future the right things to do and the right ways to live.

   Are NFL Players Still Considered Role Models? (Football Nation)

http://www.footballnation.com/content/are-nfl-players-still-considered-role-models/30978/

The 15 Best Role Models in the NFL (Bleacher Report)

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/990907-the-15-best-role-models-in-the-nfl