Should Character Count?

The buzzword that has been coming from the Jacksonville Jaguars organization this offseason has been "character." Just about every move made by the team since the end of the 2008 season has been accompanied by the word "character." Releasing Jerry Porter and Drayton Florence just one year after signing them to lucrative free agent contracts? Those moves were made just as much for character reasons as they were for football reasons. Both players reportedly wreaked havoc on team chemistry in the locker room. Letting Reggie Williams walk in free agency? A big part of that decision was football related, but you can bet an equally large part was character related. Williams clearly has some character issues to work through, as evidenced by his multiple arrests this offseason. Cutting Matt Jones after his best season as a professional football player and who was arguably the best wide receiver on the Jaguars roster at the time? Strictly a character move. A man who is willing to throw away a second chance, millions of dollars, and risk serious jail time over a beer with his buddies on the golf course is sending a major message about his character. And that message is not positive. Character also played a role in who the Jaguars brought in as additions to the roster. After the signings of Tra Thomas and Torry Holt we were informed by the team that, in addition to being good football players, these free agent acquisitions were top-notch character guys. In the draft, we saw the Jaguars take a pass on player many thought they should select, such as Michael Crabtree and BJ Raji, partly because of character concerns. After the draft, we were told by Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio and general manager Gene Smith that every draft pick was of a young man of solid character. Obviously, the Jaguars are trying to change the image of the team to a more positive one, and are placing a major emphasis on character as they rebuild the roster. The question is, should they be? Should character count? The question of whether or not character should count is a widely debated one. There are many who are of the belief that what a player does off the field does not matter, it is what he does on the field that counts. As long as a player's conduct and actions off the field do not affect his performance on the field, these fans are willing to turn a blind eye to the player's behavior and character, no matter how ewprehensible. Another camp is of the belief that athletes are role models who, in turn, should be model citizens for all the little kids (and pathetic grown men) who dream of growing up to be just like their favorite player. These people will overlook bad play on the field, just so long as the player is a perfect angel off the field. But the player had better be careful, because one misstep off the field and he will forever be labeled a bad apple and a bum by this type of fan.So which type of fan is correct? I submit that neither camp has the correct view. In my opinion (which again, I am the world's foremost expert at), character should count. It should count a lot. However, character alone is not enough. There needs to be a marriage of both talent and character. Let me explain.I think character is of the utmost importance, not only in the NFL, but in any job. I just do not buy the "As long as he gets it done on the field, it doesn't matter what he does off of it" argument, and you should not buy it either. That logic does not fly in the corporate world, so why would it be any different in the NFL? Professional football is not the only results-oriented business out there. My business is results-oriented and odds are that yours is as well. And no matter how good I am at my job, if I act like a moron off the clock and get myself in trouble, I will find myself on the unemployment line. Maybe not the first time, but certainly if I show a pattern of poor decision making away from the office. Why? Because poor decision making and bad character reflects negatively on my employer whether I am on or off the clock. And that reflection is greatly magnified when you are a professional athlete. In addition, good character people make for better employees. They are more likely to possess other intangibles that employers and customers find valuable such as loyalty, strong work ethic, dedication, etc. This does not mean that I believe there is no room for mistakes. Everyone is human and we all make mistakes. But it is not that hard to tell the difference between a guy who made a mistake and a guy who has bad character.To the men who think professional athletes should be perfect because they are role models to their kids, I have this to say: Grow up and realize that you need to be the role model for your kid, not some guy who plays a game for a living. Do you know who a NFL player should be a role model for? His own kids, not yours. If you are depending on someone else to be a role model for your child then you need to find someone to teach you a lesson on what it means to be a man and what it means to be a father. One of the things it means is taking full responsibility for shaping your children. That does not mean they cannot have favorite players they look up to, but when it comes to who they choose to emulate, if it is not you, their father, you have failed. Growing up I had favorite football players. I had their trading cards. I had their posters on my wall. I pretended to be those favorite players when we were outside playing football with our friends. But never once did I look to one of those athletes when faced with a decision I needed to make, or to determine how I should conduct myself in a certain situation. For those things, I looked to my father and other positive influences who were actually in my life, not on the television screen. The athletes were my favorite players to root for on Sunday. Dad was the role model. And that is how it should be.I applaud the moves the Jaguars have made this offseason, both talent-wise and character-wise. I think it is a wise move by any organization to acquire top-character employees who are also talented at their jobs. After the past several years of police blotter activities by some players, this is a breath of fresh air. And I will watch the games with my kids on Sundays, and we will cheer them on for who they are - players on our favorite team. But we will not cheer them on as my children's role models. That is my job.