There have been a handful of 49ers players who have endured legal battles over the last few years. From linebacker Aldon Smith, who has been arrested on a number of occasions, to fullback Bruce Miller, who was arrested during the offseason following a domestic issue with his fiancée, San Francisco has had to deal with too many arrests in recent seasons.
So with that in mind, they asked former NFL player Charles Haley—who is scheduled to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame next month—to speak with their rookies this summer about staying out of trouble and being professionals. And he gave them some advice that definitely raised a few eyebrows.
"As far as the rookies," Haley told the San Jose Mercury News, "and I know they probably got mad, but I said, 'Why don't you all act like the white guys? You never see them in the paper getting high or hitting people. Why don't you act like that?' They all looked at me crazy."
Haley went on to explain that he decided to take that approach in order to get their attention.
"I just did it for the shock value of it," he told the Mercury News. "The hardest thing is these guys, they have an attention span of a 5-year-old. I'm not the most gentle and kind person to sit there and deal with that crap. I'm a little more confrontational. I think I got my point across."
Haley is right in that he probably did need to use "shock value" to make sure the players understood his message. But it's worth noting that Bruce Miller, who is one of the Niners players who was arrested most recently, is white. So did Haley really take the best approach here?
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[via Pro Football Talk]
