Athletes: Above the Law

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It was called “Acceptance,” a story about a father whose alcoholism kills his son, an All-American football star. A second chance is then offered in the form of two new sons, one homosexual and the other intellectually disabled. As far as the outcome, you would have to “…wait for the movie”. The outlandish story Rae Carruth imagined would never reach the big screen, instead his own life would far eclipse the scenario he created when he chose to have his eight-month pregnant girlfriend and unborn baby murdered instead of paying child support. Part of his plan did work, Cherica Adams did die, but not before calling 911, identifying Carruth, and also giving birth to their son, who survived. It was a shocking crime that would make headlines, but it became sensational because Carruth was far from being a man without the means to support a family. Instead, he was a wide receiver for the Carolina Panthers (Lake 1-7). Unfortunately, Carruth is one of many famous cases involving a member of the National Football League or, as it is more commonly known, the NFL.

Rae Carruth’s actions were heinous, but are just a small part of a major problem within the NFL- flagrant and sometimes unpunished criminal behavior. Besides Carruth, there is high profile cases like O.J. Simpson, Ray Lewis, and Michael Vick, plus many more that receive minimal media attention. This is enough to prove that the problem does exist, but something needs to be done to prevent this behavior from continuing. By simply holding NFL players accountable to the same standards the average citizen experiences in the judicial system along with the NFL creating stronger penalties for players who break the law, the problem of criminal behavior within the NFL could be eradicated. ...

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Salter, Jeffrey A. “Rae Carruth’s Son.” Photo. Sports Illustrated for CNN. 12. Sep. 2012. Web.12 Dec.2013

Schrotenboer,Brent. Merrie Monteagudo. “NFL Arrests Database.” U-T San Diego Online. 11 Aug. 2013. Web. 12 Dec. 2013

Schrotenboer, Brent. "DUI Problem Dogs League." USA TODAY. 10 Dec 2012. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 11 Dec. 2013.

---, Brent. “NFL Arrests Persist After Turbulent Offseason.” USA TODAY. 5 Sep. 2013. Web.12. Dec. 2013

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The State of North Carolina. North Carolina Legislature. Criminal Law General Provisions Article One Felonies and Misdemeanors § 14-23.5. Web. 25 November 2013

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