I was recently at a gathering with my son Jordan and two of his friends from the NFL. I look at these three young men and see strong, upstanding Christian men of faith. They are not perfect, but they don’t have any baggage in their personal lives that would cast them in a bad light. The NFL is filled with young men like this, gifted athletes with exceptional talent and discipline. They are not an aberration.
In the presence of these men of great character and incredible athletic ability, I was suddenly struck by how none of them are signed with a professional team… but Greg Hardy is. In 2014, Hardy was convicted on two counts of domestic abuse – assaulting a female and communicating threats. He appealed the charges, which were dismissed in February of this year because the accuser “could not be found,” according to court documents. I believe in second chances and I think it’s good that Greg got one playing with the Dallas Cowboys. Here’s what’s bad: The ten-game suspension Hardy received as a result of the assault conviction was recently reduced to four games. (The same number as Tom Brady following Deflategate.) He may appeal the four game suspension and have it reduced further or even possibly eliminated. Greg says he’s focused on keeping his fans and Cowboys’ owner Jerry Jones happy. For their part, the team is taking a “see no evil; hear no evil” approach. They won’t discuss whether they want him to pursue further legal moves.
I would like to see Greg show that he is remorseful and repentant for his off-field behavior. Performing well on the field is not enough. He should stand up and take ownership for what he did. He needs to show that he has developed some character as a result of what happened. This begins with an apology and admitting that he needs help. He can also identify what he plans to do to make things better. Unfortunately, he isn’t doing any of this, and that is what I find really ugly.
TV cameras capture Greg smiling from the golf course and praising Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. Of course, when Greg’s athletic ability runs out, so will Jerry Jones. If Greg gets hurt or injured badly and can’t play football anymore, I think it’s unlikely that Jerry Jones will continue to support him financially or otherwise. But the impact of their relationship looms much larger. Professional players like Greg give younger players in college and high school a false sense of what is tolerated in society, so it should come as no surprise that a number of college football players find themselves in trouble with the law and sadly, also facing domestic violence charges.
FSU coach Jimbo Fisher suspended star tailback Dalvin Cook indefinitely following accusations that he punched a 21-year-old woman in the face several times during an argument outside a Tallahassee bar last month. The incident occurred the day before former FSU quarterback De’Andre Johnson, 19, was involved in a physical altercation with a 21-year-old female student at a different bar near the FSU campus. He was subsequently thrown off the team.
I’m not saying Greg is directly to blame for what happened at FSU. But excusing and ignoring Hardy’s bad behavior sends the wrong message. In the NFL, just as in real life, there should be consequences for those who make mistakes. Along with holding offenders accountable for their choices, the league should make concerted efforts to find ways to help our young athletes become better at handling challenges in their personal and professional lives. This way, our future generations of athletes can all win.