Success, Access, and the Lie We Keep Teaching Young Men
I want to be clear up front: Stefon Diggs has denied the allegations, and the legal process matters. Nothing here is about declaring guilt before facts are established.
But this situation still belongs in a team room conversation — especially with young men.
Because when you zoom out, this isn’t just about one player or one case. It’s about a script that keeps showing up.
Diggs is facing serious criminal charges. His attorney has reportedly attempted to seal records and disclosed efforts to resolve the situation financially. Separately, public reporting confirms multiple children with multiple women in overlapping time frames — including while in a highly visible relationship.
People will ask, “Why is this any of our business?” or, “Why would I bring this up with my players?”
Here’s why.
This is a textbook example of the Man Box formula that tells young men:
When the scoreboard says you’ve made it — when your stats, money, or status hit a certain level — access to women’s bodies is part of the reward.
That script doesn’t just distort how men treat women.
It distorts how men treat themselves.
Because having that many intimate relationships at the same time isn’t just about desire — it reflects a complete lack of boundaries, responsibility, and respect for bodies, consent, and consequences. At the very least, it signals behavior driven by entitlement rather than intention.
And let’s stop pretending this is “separate” from football.
If Diggs misses time because of legal consequences tied to violence or coercion, it costs the Patriots. When we say, “I don’t get into their personal lives,” this is exactly where that logic collapses. Personal choices don’t stay personal when they reflect power, control, and disregard for others.
Some will say, “Those women throw themselves at famous athletes.”
Cool — then answer this honestly:
What did you teach your players about the value of their own bodies?
About consent being mutual, ongoing, and not something money, fame, or effort buys?
If we never challenge the script that sex is proof of success, we shouldn’t be shocked when men chase validation instead of integrity — and leave wreckage behind.
This isn’t about policing relationships. It’s about teaching young men that achievement does not entitle you to anyone’s body — including your own being treated as disposable.
If we won’t talk about this, we’re not neutral. We’re complicit.
COACH PROMPTS
Where does your program explicitly challenge the idea that success equals sexual access?
How do you talk about consent outside of legality — as a value and a responsibility?
What message do your players receive about bodies, boundaries, and accountability?
PLAYER PROMPTS
Where did you learn what success with women is “supposed” to look like?
How do you know when desire turns into entitlement?
What does respecting your own body actually require of you?
