There is an unmistakable masculine culture in the NFL, and along with this can come unrealistic expectations about what is expected emotionally from a player.
After all, toughness and competitiveness are significant parts of the game, and many still believe that such attributes preclude men from showing emotions.
For Tennessee Titans standout defensive end Jeffery Simmons, there are no such illusions that he should hold every emotion inside.
Simmons told Brandon Saho, host of The Mental Game podcast, that being emotional and “shedding tears” does not make him less of a man.
Titans star DE Jeffery Simmons explains how being emotional and “shedding tears” doesn’t make him any less of a man:
“By me shedding tears, that doesn’t make me not a man.”
(via @BrandonSaho)pic.twitter.com/63FjWwskPU
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) July 3, 2024
Simmons explained to Saho, “If you ask guys on the football field, I’m very emotional. Everything I do, I try to do with passion, especially if I love it.”
Football, he explained, is one of the things he loves, “so I do it with passion.”
The Titans defender said that he knows who he is as a man, and shedding tears does not change that reality or affect his self-esteem.
Simmons observed that so many athletes are taught to hold emotions in and not let feelings out because of their size and physical prowess.
Unlike some of his peers, Simmons said he is not afraid to show that side of his manhood.
The first-round selection from the 2019 NFL draft already has 26.5 sacks in his career, including 5.5 in 2023.
More importantly, he showed a mental balance that will help him throughout his playing career and further on in life.
The 26-year-old displays an impressive maturity level that would benefit many in his profession.
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