NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Not so long ago, the broad NFL mentality didn’t lend itself to caring much about a player’s personal issues.
In 1990 Oilers offensive lineman David Williams stayed home from a game on the road for the birth of his son and Babygate was a national scandal.
Missing a game to welcome a child might still be looked down on by some now, but the world has changed and the league has changed with it.
Pro sports have evolved to allow a broader understanding of life beyond the game, in many ways that have less visible impacts than missing kickoff.
Wives and kids, moms and dads, friends tugging at a player and anything else under the big heading of life that may once not have been allowed to be a factor in the tough-guy atmosphere of a facility or practice field are not walled off as much now -- at least not in Nashville.
With the Titans, Mike Vrabel considers it a key part of his job to know what’s going on with his guys and make sure they can sort through it to best put their worries aside to most effectively do their jobs.
