NFL adds gun responsibility to offseason training course
The NFL is doing more to inform and educate its players about gun ownership and responsibility.
As part of the third year of offseason social responsibility training, the league added a discussion on gun safety, including safe storage, Jane McManus of espnW.com writes.
After an offseason of gun issues, the league felt it was necessary to add to its discussion topics. Among the incidents were:
- Former New Orleans Saint Will Smith was shot and killed in a road rage incident in April;
- Former Indianapolis Colts running back Zurlon Tipton was killed when a gun in his car accidentally fired in June;
- Buccaneers rookie Dominique Robertson suffered gunshot wounds in July;
- Now-Detroit Lions tight end Andrew Quarless was arrested for shooting a firearm in public in Miami, also in July;
- Denver Broncos corner Aqib Talib also received gunshot wounds in a shooting in Dallas.
"We've never presented the issue from a social responsibility perspective before," said the NFL's vice president of social responsibility Anna Isaacson. "These were crucial societal issues that people just didn't know enough about, and we felt that it was our duty, and it was the right thing to do, to make sure that everyone in the NFL family had the same knowledge, so that we were all on an even playing field and we all had the same information."
Under the NFL's personal conduct policy, players are subject to discipline even if their conduct doesn't result in a criminal conviction. Discipline can also come about due to illegal possession of a gun or other weapons.
"Because of the Second Amendment, the NFL can't tell you (that) you can't have a gun, because you're a citizen of this country," said Baltimore Ravens tight end Benjamin Watson, a participant in the discussion.
The 13-year veteran approved of the training sessions.
"Having a conversation is a way to engage in a nonthreatening manner," he said.