Seattle Seahawks defensive lineman Quinton Jefferson was ejected at the end of Sunday’s game in Jacksonville. On his way off the field, some unruly Jaguars fans threw things at him and taunted him, and if not for security guards holding the big man back, he would have been in the stands fighting those fans (watch here).
Afterward, Jefferson defended himself.
“I’m not going to let somebody disrespect me, throw a beer on me,” Jefferson said, per USA Today. “Just because I’m playing football, I’m still a human being. I’m still a man.”
This explanation didn’t sit well with Cleveland Browns offensive tackle Joe Thomas, who utterly annihilated Jefferson on Twitter for these comments.
Saying “I’m a man,” and “I’m not going to let someone disrespect me” is the most childish and overplayed cliche in our society. What being a man really means is having the DISCIPLINE to look someone in the eye, control your emotions, and walk away. https://t.co/S4qC1CcRfx
— Joe Thomas (@joethomas73) December 11, 2017
It’s easy to sympathize with Jefferson. He was in the heat of the moment after being involved in a fight on the field and then had stuff thrown at him. But what Thomas has to say here is even more valid, especially coming from him — one of the most respected men in the entire NFL.
There’s no way Jefferson should have allowed himself to get so sucked into what (likely drunk) fans were doing to the point where he nearly climbed into the stands to fight them.
Being a man does mean taking it on the chin sometimes. The fans who threw things at Jefferson were absolutely wrong and should be suspended for life — there’s no place for that in the game. At the same time, players have to have the discipline to keep themselves from stooping to the level of fans when they get out of hand.