Von Miller: Role Model?

Deviance in Sports

Von Miller: Role Model?

By: Emily Forloines & Alex Wenrich

In class we discussed the topic of athletes as role models in a positive and negative way. Most of the time a naïve sports fan classifies an athlete as a role model because of stardom, perfect statistics, and extrovert personality. During the lecture we conversed about what truly makes an athlete a role model. Role models for our youth should be based off of honesty, commitment, good sportsmanship, sense of humor, fairness, determination, good self-image, and high moral values.  In 2011 the Denver Broncos drafted Texas A&M outside linebacker Von Miller. Like any other high first round draft pick that individual is expected to become the face of the franchise during their tenure with that team. Miller

did not disappoint the fans of the Broncos after his rookie season. He accomplished many honorable awards such as a trip to the Pro Bowl, Second-team All-Pro, AP NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, and recorded a total of 11.5 sacks. Surprisingly the rookie superstar did not have the famous sophomore slump like most impact athletes do. Miller earned a second trip to the Pro Bowl, named First-team All-Pro, and named number nine on the NFL’s top 100 list. He finished his sophomore season with 18.5 sacks. Minus a few fines for roughing during his early years, everything seemed perfect for the 24 year old.

In July, 2013, Von Miller was suspended four games for violating league policy, depending if he was willing to appeal. Miller used his social media account, twitting, “nothing wrong.” In August, 2013, Von Miller’s suspension was raised from four games to six, failing to win his appeal. In that same month he was arrested by warrant for driving related charges from October 2012. In September 2013, Miller was cited for driving with a suspended license. During the end of September, he was caught unsuccessfully attempting to corrupt his drug test with the help from a urine collector. Miller will also be tested in the future for the use of Performance Enhancement Drugs (PEDs) due to the suspicion of the tampering of the urine sample. Von Miller’s six game suspension will be over October 20,2013 when the Denver Broncos take on the Indianapolis Colts.  Even though Miller is a superstar in the NFL, his locker room will be divided over the mixed feeling over his immature decisions in the past year.

          According to Coakley’s text, page 172-173 talks about deviance in sport, connecting to cheating to receive the upper hand. Coakley classifies the deviance into six main categories cheating, gambling, shaving points, engaging in unfair play, fighting, and taking illegal PEDs. Once the youth realizes that the professional athletes are performing these acts it will filter down into the grass root organizations. Youth athletes idolize a group or a single athlete and attempt to mimic their playing style. The next generation of youth athletes may begin to start injecting themselves with PEDs to become the top high school athlete in their sport just to have a chance to earn a full scholarship at the intercollegiate level. PEDs were are currently being used at a professional level to earn larger contracts and receiving minor fines opposed to receiving lifetime bans. Players that use other illegal substances such as marijuana need to face the same legal consequences as the PEDs users because of the image it portrays on todays youth society. The best way to make sure this does not reach the interscholastic level is to enforce lifetime bans from that sport. Is it right to pay millions of dollars to a star athlete for cheating their way to stardom or using other illegal substances such as marijuana?