STREAM EXCLUSIVE ORIGINALS

Charles Haley Tells NFL Rookies to Act Like the White Guys

Soon-to-be Hall of Famer offers up peculiar advice.

Awaiting his upcoming enshrinement into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Charles Haley had some peculiar advice for the San Francisco 49ers rookie class back in May.

“As far as the rookies, and I know they probably got mad, but I said, ‘Why don’t you all act like the white guys? You never see them in the paper getting high or hitting people. Why don't you act like that,'" said the former NFL great, as revealed by the San Jose Mercury News on Thursday. "They all looked at me crazy.”

“I just did it for the shock value of it,” Haley said of his May speech. "The hardest thing is these guys, they have an attention span of a five-year-old. I’m not the most gentle and kind person to sit there and deal with that crap. I’m a little more confrontational. I think I got my point across. You’ve got to have people that stand for something, until you’re able to lead yourself." 

| CLICK HERE TO SEE TWITTER REACTIONS TO THE 2015 NFL DRAFT |

The advice is strange, considering the most-notable white 2014 draft pick, Johnny Manziel, got in plenty of trouble during his rookie season last year.

Yet Haley, who famously won five Super Bowls with the 49ers and Dallas Cowboys, will seemingly be welcomed to either squad's camps.

Haley, diagnosed as bipolar in 2002, also told the Mercury News that the Hall of Fame enshrinement will give him a platform to "raise money for kids and for mental illness." 

BET Sports News — Get the latest news and information about African-Americans in sports, including weekly recaps, celebrity news and photos of your favorite Black athletes.

(Photo: Robert Laberge/Getty Images for Texas Motor Speedway)

Latest News

Subscribe for BET Updates

Provide your email address to receive our newsletter.


By clicking Subscribe, you confirm that you have read and agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge our Privacy Policy. You also agree to receive marketing communications, updates, special offers (including partner offers) and other information from BET and the Paramount family of companies. You understand that you can unsubscribe at any time.