How Society Dehumanizes Athletes, and Why it Must Stop
Remembering Dwayne Haskins for all the right reasons
“Infectious” is the word Ohio State’s head coach used when referring to Dwayne Haskins’ smile.
In a tweet following the news that Dwayne Haskins, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ quarterback and former Ohio State star died on Saturday morning, his former Buckeye coach Ryan Day reminded us to remember that Dwayne “was much more than a great football player,” he wrote. “He had a giant heart, and an old soul.”
The world learned about Haskins’ death through Twitter on April 9, with notable National Football League (NFL) insider Adam Schefter describing Haskins as a “standout at Ohio State before struggling to catch on with Washington and Pittsbutgh in the NFL” before breaking the news that he “died this morning when he got hit by a car in South Florida.”
Immediately receiving backlash from athletes and fans alike, Schefter proceeded to delete his original tweet and try again, typing out a new statement without mention of Haskins’ on-field struggles.
Our society, especially through the likes of social media, views athletes as a means to a contribution on our favorite teams, as opposed to who they are as human beings.
Gil Brandy, an out-of-touch, white-haired radio host for the NFL Network, described Dwayne Haskins as “a guy that was living to be dead” after hearing of his passing. He continued to suggest that “maybe if Haskins stayed in school a year he would not do silly things [like] jogging on a highway.”
Brandy and Schefter have both since apologized for their insensitive comments, due to overwhelming criticism. These apologies, offered through a 280 character tweet or behind the curtain of a podcast, will likely help the two men keep their jobs. But they do not mask the larger issue poisoning the sports world: the prioritization of breaking news over human compassion.
Those who were close to Haskins described the soon-to-be 25 year old as a loyal family man who was revered by his teammates and coaches.
Yes, Dwayne Haskins’ professional football career has not gone as expected for an NFL first-round pick, but his actions on the field did not determine his value as a person. As a top-three quarterback picked in the 2019 NFL Draft, Haskins was expected to lead a faltering franchise in Washington back to relevance. The high expectations for Haskins were warranted, as he will go down as one of the Ohio State greats, if not the best player to ever put on a Buckeye uniform.
His supernatural arm strength and athleticism in the pocket led Haskins to break numerous passing records while finishing his collegiate career as a Heisman Trophy finalist.
Haskins was eventually released from the Washington Commanders in December of 2020, and signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers just a month later, with a chance to compete for a roster spot. His first impressions with the Steelers were unequivocally positive: an assiduous player who frequently volunteered in downtown Pittsburgh at the team’s community outreach events.
Steelers’ coach Mike Tomlin spoke emotionally about Dwayne after hearing of his death, describing how “he quickly became part of our Steelers family upon his arrival. He was one of our hardest workers, both on the field and in our community. Dwayne was a great teammate, but even more so a tremendous friend to so many.”
The NFL lost a talented player last weekend, but more importantly, the Haskins family lost a loving husband, brother and son too early.
Dwayne’s strong relationship with his family — specifically his younger sister, Tamia—has been noted in past interviews, with Tapia stating that “Dwayne has always been my best friend. Growing up, sometimes he was my only friend. It didn’t matter that I was his younger sister.” She continued, “I’m very proud of my brother, and I think he’s accomplished a lot.”
ESPN recently extended their contract with Adam Schefter, but one might wonder how long Schefter can continue his insensitive and awkward tweets — which he has a history of — while keeping his job.
Schefter has a Twitter following of over nine million users, many of which are NFL players and fans. Schefter has a responsibility to, yes, break news. But he also has an obligation to be a strong role model for younger generations of football fanatics. Dehumanizing Haskins merely hours after his death on Twitter did not help Schefter’s cause.
Fans need to know that athletes are more than their statistics on the back of a baseball card — they are people too.
Adam Schefter’s tweet reflects the majority of society’s ignorant notion that NFL players are not human beings, but rather a commodity to deepen owners’ pockets, whom we get to root for on Sundays from our couch.