Coming into fame and fortune straight after college can be a lot of fun, but also a lot of responsibility. Being an NFL rookie comes with even more responsibility as an injury, big or small, can ruin a career. This is why the NFL holds an annual rookie symposium where incoming players are given advice on how to handle life as an NFL player.
Of course this is never supposed to be seen by the public, but we live in 2015 and if something isn’t record did it even happen? What appears to be footage from last year’s symposium posted on the NFL’s official website shows former wide receiver Cris Carter giving the new guys some advice if and when they get into legal trouble. He says they need to find a “fall guy”, someone who will do the time for the player’s crime. That includes going to the jail. I don’t know about you, but there are very, very few people I would go to jail for, especially something I didn’t do.
Finding themselves in yet another public relations disaster, the NFL quickly released a statement after the video went public. The league said, “This was an unfortunate and inappropriate comment made by Cris Carter during the 2014 NFC Rookie Symposium. The comment was not representative of the message of the symposium or any other league program. The league’s player engagement staff immediately expressed concern about the comment to Cris. The comment was not repeated in the 2014 AFC session or this year’s symposium.”
Former Giants linebacker Carl Banks III went on a tirade about Carter’s comments.
We have a generation of youths that need guidance and you feed this Sh!t? Really @criscarter80 Really? https://t.co/zQ9jwegf6Y
— Carl Banks (@CarlBanksGIII) August 23, 2015
Tell a group of 1st time millionaires to Fcuk up then ruin his friends life SMFH! Miss me with that Sh!t.👉 https://t.co/zQ9jwegf6Y
— Carl Banks (@CarlBanksGIII) August 23, 2015
The NFL offseason never seems to be a quiet time. The season never seems to start fast enough.
UPDATE: Cris Carter has gone on Twitter and issued an apology for his advice.
Seeing that video has made me realize how wrong I was. I was brought there to educate young people and instead I gave them very…
— Cris Carter (@criscarter80) August 24, 2015
bad advice. Every person should take responsibility for his own actions. I’m sorry and I truly regret what I said that day.”
— Cris Carter (@criscarter80) August 24, 2015
