Pro-Athletes Ponder Their Security www.privateofficer.com
Atlanta Ga. Dec. 26, 2007
It reduces even the biggest, even the strongest to feeling vulnerable, nervous and frightened. Violent crime against professional athletes is nothing new, but it is certainly not on the decline.
During the last two weeks, Atlanta Hawks forward Shelden Williams was carjacked at gunpoint as he left an Atlanta barbershop, and Indiana Pacers guard Jamaal Tinsley's car was sprayed with gunshots outside an Indianapolis hotel. This, less than two weeks after the murder of Washington Redskins safety Sean Taylor, shot by an intruder inside his home.
In July, NBA players Antoine Walker and Eddy Curry were robbed at gunpoint in their Chicago homes. And in September, Houston Texans cornerback Dunta Robinson was held up in similar fashion in his home.
It is the proverbial 800-pound gorilla in pro locker rooms these days, a topic worth the attention of its inhabitants but one many would rather avoid.
"I don't talk about security," the Bulls' Ben Wallace said.
"I'd rather not," the Bears' Olin Kreutz said.
Luol Deng might have the same feeling, but Williams happens to be a former Duke teammate and a friend.
"Being a basketball player and being in the same position, you have to be honest with yourself and believe that could have been you," Deng said. "It's not like Shelden is a guy who went and looked for trouble or they were after him for some reason."
So how can athletes make themselves less vulnerable at a time when they are more conspicuous than ever?
"We're a huge target," Bears receiver Rashied Davis said. "You want recognition, but every time someone sees our face on a TV screen, it puts a big target on us. And the Internet is a huge deal. You can find out where a person lives, an overview of his home, a blueprint of his house. You definitely have to make sure your security system is up to par. Mine is always on."
Bears tight end Desmond Clark said his house in Orlando is similarly protected. But in the current climate, he said, even that's not enough.
"Even before the Sean Taylor deal, I was concerned," Clark said. "Is someone looking at me when I'm not looking at them? I've stressed out my wife about not being too flamboyant, having too much jewelry on. I don't wear much. I think a lot of people get into trouble because of their appearance.
"There are times and places you can get away with it. But even if it's just me and my wife, you don't want to make yourself a target."
Clark says he drives a 1999 Lexus and a Ford Excursion.
"My wife has a BMW 750 and wanted all the rims and stuff," he said. "But after we actually saw a lady being carjacked for her rims, my wife understood.
"It's not just athletes _ it's affluent people, period. We have things everyday people don't, and some people see it and want it. A lot of people think we don't deserve it."
Bulls forward Joe Smith said that in addition to a home security system, he watches everyone he invites into his house.
"It can be a repairman, a cable guy, it can be anybody," he said. "And all they have to do is just relay the message to the wrong person on where you live."
Smith said he is especially careful at this time of year.
"I grew up in not so good of an area, and this is usually the time of the year, around the holidays, when most of this stuff happens, people trying to get a little extra for their family or whatever," Smith said. "The way they think is that we have it, so we'll be able to get it back with no problem."
Both the NBA and NFL advocate their players assuming a low profile in public places. But Davis said he does not believe athletes should have to change their lifestyles to reduce risk.
"You make money, you deserve to enjoy it," he said. "We're not the only ones who spend money on jewelry, cars, homes. We didn't start this. We've only been making (big) money the last 15, 20 years. And having a modest car is not going to stop something from happening."
More constructive, Davis said, would be to try to change the behavior of those committing the crimes.
"I grew up in a tough neighborhood, so I know," he said. "They're doing what they think is the easy way. But they need to understand that what they're doing is the hard way.
"Go to school, learn a trade. It feels so much better to get a check from work and not have to look over your shoulder, knowing someone's out to get you. It's so much harder living your life that way."
Still, Davis admits, "One of my biggest fears is not being able to protect my wife and loved ones."
To that end, Davis keeps registered guns in his home.
"I'm not a gun nut," he said. "I don't carry one on me. But I have a few in my home. I'm safe with them, I know how to use them and my wife knows how to use them. I look at it as a necessary evil. I wouldn't keep it next to my headboard if I didn't feel I needed to."
After the Curry and Walker home invasions, the NBA stepped up its annual security presentation to players with a new interactive program called "Safe Net," in which players were put into various scenarios and had to come up with viable solutions.
Situations included being stopped by police, home invasions and nightclub confrontations.
"It was very, very popular, and we got good feedback from players," said Bernie Tolbert, senior vice president of NBA security.
Upon recommendation from the league, almost all NBA teams now employ their own security personnel who travel with the team in addition to a league security representative who monitors each team in each city.
Likewise, NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said "certainly Sean Taylor's death has heightened awareness," but the league has been increasing its attention toward player security over the last decade. Aiello said "close to 30 teams" employ security specialists to work closely with the team in matters of player safety. In addition, the NFL long has had security representatives in each city.
But Tolbert, a retired FBI agent, does not encourage players to keep guns in their homes.
"I try to tell them more people get killed by their own guns than guns belonging to the bad guy," he said. "It's their choice, and we let them know about proper registration, use and safety."
For players who choose to employ their own security, Tolbert warns them to be careful whom they hire.
"Sometimes a bodyguard can exacerbate the situation," he said. "They need to have a law-enforcement background so they can recognize things before they happen."
E. Washington of Chicago's Dignitary Protective Services couldn't agree more. His company employs only those with law-enforcement backgrounds, and he believes pro athletes, who are among his clientele, should not even consider traveling without professionals protecting them.
"I don't need my cousin with a gun," Washington said. "When I look back at the incident with Tank Johnson (whose friend and de facto bodyguard was shot and killed at a nightclub with Johnson), that is not the guy who should have been protecting him."
Hiring "bouncers who are 6-4 with shaved heads," said Joe Rokas, isn't such a good idea either.
"They attract even more attention, and if someone's drunk, he's going to see this guy and say, `He ain't that tough. I can kick his (butt),' " said Rokas, a retired Chicago policeman who provided security for Michael Jordan throughout the ex-Bull's career and continues to work private security as well as in several Chicago sports arenas.
Rokas said after Jordan began using personal security, it began a trend that spread to players such as Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman.
"There's definitely more violence now, but there are a different kind of athletes now too," Rokas said. "Honestly, I don't think bodyguards are necessary. It's the company you keep and the places you go. And like my father said, you don't need new friends."
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During the last two weeks, Atlanta Hawks forward Shelden Williams was carjacked at gunpoint as he left an Atlanta barbershop, and Indiana Pacers guard Jamaal Tinsley's car was sprayed with gunshots outside an Indianapolis hotel. This, less than two weeks after the murder of Washington Redskins safety Sean Taylor, shot by an intruder inside his home.
In July, NBA players Antoine Walker and Eddy Curry were robbed at gunpoint in their Chicago homes. And in September, Houston Texans cornerback Dunta Robinson was held up in similar fashion in his home.
It is the proverbial 800-pound gorilla in pro locker rooms these days, a topic worth the attention of its inhabitants but one many would rather avoid.
"I don't talk about security," the Bulls' Ben Wallace said.
"I'd rather not," the Bears' Olin Kreutz said.
Luol Deng might have the same feeling, but Williams happens to be a former Duke teammate and a friend.
"Being a basketball player and being in the same position, you have to be honest with yourself and believe that could have been you," Deng said. "It's not like Shelden is a guy who went and looked for trouble or they were after him for some reason."
So how can athletes make themselves less vulnerable at a time when they are more conspicuous than ever?
"We're a huge target," Bears receiver Rashied Davis said. "You want recognition, but every time someone sees our face on a TV screen, it puts a big target on us. And the Internet is a huge deal. You can find out where a person lives, an overview of his home, a blueprint of his house. You definitely have to make sure your security system is up to par. Mine is always on."
Bears tight end Desmond Clark said his house in Orlando is similarly protected. But in the current climate, he said, even that's not enough.
"Even before the Sean Taylor deal, I was concerned," Clark said. "Is someone looking at me when I'm not looking at them? I've stressed out my wife about not being too flamboyant, having too much jewelry on. I don't wear much. I think a lot of people get into trouble because of their appearance.
"There are times and places you can get away with it. But even if it's just me and my wife, you don't want to make yourself a target."
Clark says he drives a 1999 Lexus and a Ford Excursion.
"My wife has a BMW 750 and wanted all the rims and stuff," he said. "But after we actually saw a lady being carjacked for her rims, my wife understood.
"It's not just athletes _ it's affluent people, period. We have things everyday people don't, and some people see it and want it. A lot of people think we don't deserve it."
Bulls forward Joe Smith said that in addition to a home security system, he watches everyone he invites into his house.
"It can be a repairman, a cable guy, it can be anybody," he said. "And all they have to do is just relay the message to the wrong person on where you live."
Smith said he is especially careful at this time of year.
"I grew up in not so good of an area, and this is usually the time of the year, around the holidays, when most of this stuff happens, people trying to get a little extra for their family or whatever," Smith said. "The way they think is that we have it, so we'll be able to get it back with no problem."
Both the NBA and NFL advocate their players assuming a low profile in public places. But Davis said he does not believe athletes should have to change their lifestyles to reduce risk.
"You make money, you deserve to enjoy it," he said. "We're not the only ones who spend money on jewelry, cars, homes. We didn't start this. We've only been making (big) money the last 15, 20 years. And having a modest car is not going to stop something from happening."
More constructive, Davis said, would be to try to change the behavior of those committing the crimes.
"I grew up in a tough neighborhood, so I know," he said. "They're doing what they think is the easy way. But they need to understand that what they're doing is the hard way.
"Go to school, learn a trade. It feels so much better to get a check from work and not have to look over your shoulder, knowing someone's out to get you. It's so much harder living your life that way."
Still, Davis admits, "One of my biggest fears is not being able to protect my wife and loved ones."
To that end, Davis keeps registered guns in his home.
"I'm not a gun nut," he said. "I don't carry one on me. But I have a few in my home. I'm safe with them, I know how to use them and my wife knows how to use them. I look at it as a necessary evil. I wouldn't keep it next to my headboard if I didn't feel I needed to."
After the Curry and Walker home invasions, the NBA stepped up its annual security presentation to players with a new interactive program called "Safe Net," in which players were put into various scenarios and had to come up with viable solutions.
Situations included being stopped by police, home invasions and nightclub confrontations.
"It was very, very popular, and we got good feedback from players," said Bernie Tolbert, senior vice president of NBA security.
Upon recommendation from the league, almost all NBA teams now employ their own security personnel who travel with the team in addition to a league security representative who monitors each team in each city.
Likewise, NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said "certainly Sean Taylor's death has heightened awareness," but the league has been increasing its attention toward player security over the last decade. Aiello said "close to 30 teams" employ security specialists to work closely with the team in matters of player safety. In addition, the NFL long has had security representatives in each city.
But Tolbert, a retired FBI agent, does not encourage players to keep guns in their homes.
"I try to tell them more people get killed by their own guns than guns belonging to the bad guy," he said. "It's their choice, and we let them know about proper registration, use and safety."
For players who choose to employ their own security, Tolbert warns them to be careful whom they hire.
"Sometimes a bodyguard can exacerbate the situation," he said. "They need to have a law-enforcement background so they can recognize things before they happen."
E. Washington of Chicago's Dignitary Protective Services couldn't agree more. His company employs only those with law-enforcement backgrounds, and he believes pro athletes, who are among his clientele, should not even consider traveling without professionals protecting them.
"I don't need my cousin with a gun," Washington said. "When I look back at the incident with Tank Johnson (whose friend and de facto bodyguard was shot and killed at a nightclub with Johnson), that is not the guy who should have been protecting him."
Hiring "bouncers who are 6-4 with shaved heads," said Joe Rokas, isn't such a good idea either.
"They attract even more attention, and if someone's drunk, he's going to see this guy and say, `He ain't that tough. I can kick his (butt),' " said Rokas, a retired Chicago policeman who provided security for Michael Jordan throughout the ex-Bull's career and continues to work private security as well as in several Chicago sports arenas.
Rokas said after Jordan began using personal security, it began a trend that spread to players such as Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman.
"There's definitely more violence now, but there are a different kind of athletes now too," Rokas said. "Honestly, I don't think bodyguards are necessary. It's the company you keep and the places you go. And like my father said, you don't need new friends."
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