Athletes must be mindful about what they post to social media

Peter Holland // Asst. Sports Director

Social media has made its way into the lives of many people, including young athletes.

According to Pew Research Center in 2015, 92 percent of teens used social media on a daily basis and 90 percent had at least one social media platform.

Social media can be beneficial but it can also destroy a career because of what is posted, tweeted or even shared.

When college coaches are recruiting players, the first thing on their minds, other than how can that athlete contribute to their school, is how active are they on social media. For coaches and scouts, it’s a simple way of doing a background check on the prospect before they officially offer a scholarship to play.

Each university has its own rules and regulations when handling social media. Earlier this year, University of Miami recruited five star wide receiver Sam Bruce from St.Thomas Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale. He withdrew from his high school after a photo was found of him holding a gun, according to the Miami Herald. When he enrolled in Miami, he was suspended from the team, before injuring himself playing basketball, and was eventually dismissed from the team for violating team rules. Think what would’ve happened if the photo of Bruce didn’t come out? Would he still be on the Hurricanes’ team?

In University of Arkansas, football head coach Bret Biliema made it clear how strict he is when it comes to social media in last year’s SEC media day, according to ESPN.

“We have a social media background screening that you’ve got to go through,” said Bielema to ESPN. And if you have a social media nickname or something on your Twitter account that makes me sick, I’m not going to recruit you. I’ve turned down players based on their Twitter handles. I’ve turned down players based on Twitter pictures. It’s just that’s how I choose to run our program.”

Some coaches are not that strict, but it does show that when you’re an athlete, social media has the ability to expose your character, whether good or bad.

On NFL Draft Day in April, the Miami Dolphins picked Laremy Tunsil in the first round. Before he was picked, a picture was leaked of Tunsil wearing a gas mask while smoking out of a bong. An offensive tackle, who was rated high from every scout’s evaluation and could’ve been a top five pick, fell all the way to number 13.

Ever since then, the NFL has hired a cybersecurity firm called K2 Intelligence to teach NFL players how to handle their social media accounts and to make sure that something that happened to Tunsil never happens again.

So far FIU athletics does not have a problem with social media controversy involving any of their athletes.

Even if there was, all athletes should be taught how to manage their social media account. Or, the athletes could simply do what former NFL coach, now ESPN analyst, Herm Edwards would say when the subject is brought up to him, and that is “Don’t press send.”

 

Be the first to comment on "Athletes must be mindful about what they post to social media"

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published.


*