Are High School Football Players Becoming Too Humble?

It’s no secret that God has been working overtime on the football careers of our nation’s most humble gridiron warriors. For the past few years, swarms of selfless studs all over the country have been taking to social media to express their gratitude to the monotheistic higher power for blessing them with ambiguous college football offers from an impressive array of Division 1–4 powerhouses; going as far as giving all of their available glory to Him.

But with participation numbers and ticket sales at all levels reaching record-breaking lows in 2018, some experts are arguing that players should be doing more to promote themselves and their self-earned accomplishments.

“Kids these days are discouraged from even trying out for the team, because they think that no matter how well they perform, it’s entirely up to God if they’ll get a scholarship offer from a top program like Alabama or Antelope Valley Junior College.” – Ray DeBlasi, High School Football Journalist

“There’s a humility epidemic in high school football, and I’m worried it’s going to have detrimental effects on the sport’s marketability if it continues to spread.” – Bill McCusker, Sports Analyst

“I think the lower numbers are just the result of increased awareness of the long-term effects of concussions.” – Dr. Reyansh Parikh, Doctor

So how severe is the current humility epidemic?

Players are becoming so overwhelmingly humble that they are starting to brand themselves as symbols of the virtuous quality, with nicknames like “Humble Beast,” “Humble King,” and “Humble Omnipotent Deity”

Hailing from modest locations like “Somewhere Being Great” and “Up In Them Cheeks,” these altruistic athletes and religious role models routinely refuse to take any of the credit for their accolades and innate abilities. But conversely, they have been persistently reminding the world that every single one of their scholarship/walk-on offers is merely a divine blessing.

“The root of the problem lies in the schools and local communities,” McCusker stated. “A lot of these players are being pressured by coaches, parents, and pastors to be as humble as possible, and it’s hurting football’s entertainment factor. These kids can’t show their true colors if they feel the need to be overly humble all the time.”

In November, Zhaire Westfall, a five-star recruit from Potomac, Maryland, faced backlash from peers and faculty for outright refusing to thank God online for any of his scholarship offers. The controversial All American linebacker was completely silent on Twitter for the entirety of his recruitment process despite receiving dozens of Division One full-ride offers.

“It was nothing against God … I kind of just didn’t feel the need to tweet about every single offer I got,” Westfall attempted to explain during a public apology in his school’s gymnasium. But his remorse wasn’t enough, as several schools already repealed their scholarship offers to him because of his inflated ego and narcissism.

Christian football players aren’t the only ones experiencing the adverse effects of the country’s humility epidemic. A life-long Satanist and All County wide receiver from Massachusetts, Dillon Gilisnky, stirred up controversy within The Satanic Temple for not giving any glory to Baphomet, the religion’s winged goat idol, for his generous offer from Fitchburg State.

Whether this “epidemic” is truly an epidemic or not is still up for debate. But one thing that can’t be denied is that star players shouldn’t be persecuted just for having a little pride in themselves.

“It’s definitely something to think about,” DeBlasi added. “Sure, being humble is an outstanding characteristic, but some of these children of God need to realize that they worked hard for their achievements, so they should be more comfortable flaunting them on social media.”