The media loves to slam the bad boys of the NFL. Players such as Terrell Owens and Randy Moss are made to look like spoiled and obnoxious jerks by the media. As sports fans, you hear about their huge multi-million dollar contracts and their problems on and off the field.
As a recently retired NFL player, I know what goes on behind the scenes in the lives of NFL players. I know about both the good and the bad. I decided to write this article to let you know about the side of players that is rarely covered by the media because it is not considered exciting and newsworthy. I want to talk about the many wonderful things the “bad boys” of the NFL do to make this world a better place.
Randy Moss and Terrell Owen have both have worked extremely hard to make their dreams come true. There are 1800 players in the NFL and out of those 1800 players, the media seems to only care about the bad things players do. As they say in news, “if it bleeds it leads.” When was the last time you saw a major story on ESPN about a wonderful thing a player did to help a child or help their community? My guess is you probably cannot remember. But you certainly remember hearing about Terrell Owens not getting along with a player or a coach or Randy Moss doing a fake moon to the fans of the Green Bay Packers.
So for those of you that think Randy Moss and Terrell Owens are horrible people, please take a moment to read about the good things they have done:
Randy Moss
* Spends time visiting local schools and meeting children
* Donates time and money to the Make a Wish Foundation to help terminally ill children
* Donates to the St. Joseph’s Home for Children in Minneapolis and an orphanage/clinic in Mexico
* Sponsors a celebrity fishing tournament to raise money for Smile Network International, which provides free reconstructive surgeries to impoverished children in developing countries
Terrell Owens
* Runs the Terrell Owens Foundation and holds many events to raise money for The Alzheimer’s Association.
* Holds youth football camps and is personally involved in teaching young players.
* Auctioned his 2004 Philadelphia Eagles NFC Championship ring to raise money for hurricane Katrina relief
Now that you know more about the good these players are doing, I hope you will see them in a different light and not be so quick to judge them negatively.