Depending on how the first round plays out, Ozzie Newsome and Eric DeCosta could be faced with a very difficult character decision on a player who would otherwise be extremely attractive to the organization.
In light of the Ray Rice video, Taylor Lewan’s character issue, which involves an alleged threat to rape a female victim of an alleged sexual assault if she filed a complaint against his teammate, has the potential to become a public relations nightmare should the Ravens select this player.
Lewan is a student athlete at the University of Michigan and while it’s important to point out that the facts of this case have not yet been authenticated (although discussed by both Sports Illustrated and Sporting News), the allegations alone are indicative of the character issues facing the Baltimore Ravens organization and, by extension, the NFL.
The Ravens will have to conduct a very thorough background investigation to get to the bottom of this sordid tale but, examining the matter in a light most favorable to the potential draft pick, there are a few points to consider:
• Although the matter is in the public domain, indeed, it is all over the Internet, Lewan was not charged with or convicted of any crime. Any allegations on the Internet, or in the newspapers for that matter, must be fully vetted;
• Purportedly, Lewan’s threat was documented in a police report and he was warned by the police but not arrested;
• There was considerable controversy at the University of Michigan concerning allegations of a cover-up and favoritism by the school toward the football program but no action was taken against Lewan by the football team or the university;
• In some reports, the player has denied making the threats.
Depending on the facts that are uncovered by any “due diligence” inquiries into this matter, the Ravens may have to make a tough “character issue” decision on Lewan. On the one hand, the Ravens are not the courts or the police, if the man has committed no crime, should the Ravens or the NFL bar him from earning a living?
On the other hand, though, he will wear the Ravens uniform and be paid millions of dollars; shouldn’t the Ravens closely examine any player who may have threatened a woman with rape? These issues can be tough and the Ray Rice matter only escalates the importance of making the right call.
Some possible scenarios that the Ravens may face in deciding whether to draft this player include:
The Player Admits some Wrongdoing but Is Unrepentant
The Ravens may determine that Lewan’s character issues are simply too hot to handle in light of the Ray Rice incident, particularly if Lewan does not deny his culpability. Ravens senior management may decide to strike the promising tackle from their draft board completely.
One might think that an unrepentant man who admits to obstructing a sexual assault investigation by threatening to rape a woman would not be permitted to play in the NFL, but one would probably be wrong. Issues of rape, sexual assault, domestic abuse and battery of women by current and former players have been all over the headlines in the past few years. Many of the players involved in these sordid affairs are still playing in the NFL.
The Player Admits His Actions but Accepts Responsibility
People make mistakes, especially college kids. Although this is a very serious issue if true, there may be mitigating circumstances, such as alcohol, that would put the matter in a slightly different light. Especially if Lewan accepts responsibility for his actions and realizes how terrible his behavior was, he may be on the way to maturity. It may be that the kid was mouthing off at 3am after a night of hard drinking. If this is the case, though, he must still accept responsibility for his behavior.
The Player Denies Everything
By some accounts, this is precisely Lewan’s defense; he denies making any threat at all. In this particular case, allegedly, two people overheard the rape threats and reported them to university police. Lewan may be denying his actions to avoid legal jeopardy but he may also think he got away with it and believes he can do whatever he wants to women. On the other hand, he may be denying that he made any rape threat because it’s the truth, he made no threats and the original allegations against him were the result of a misunderstanding or other mistake.
Should Ravens Consider Team and NFL Image in Making 1st Round Selection?
If the Ravens are considering Lewan at all, they should, at the very least, conduct a very tough interview.
The NFL is cringing at current, horrific serial rape allegations against Darren Sharper who was also a high profile analyst on the NFL Network. If the allegations against the former NFL star are true, he was a very sick man. No doubt, many will point to perceived favoritism of star athletes as a possible cause of his abusive behavior but this does not seem fair, most football players are great guys and many are leaders in their communities.
Still, some pampered players do seem to acquire a sense of entitlement that leads to mistreatment of women and others. Alcohol seems to be a factor in many abuse incidents, it may have contributed to the troubles in Atlantic City, but that is not a very good excuse. As Ozzie Newsome said about the Ray Rice video, “…it doesn’t look good.”
If the potential draftee made a mistake but admits responsibility, the Ravens may select him and take the heat from any bad publicity that may follow. But if the Ravens 17th pick in the 2014 NFL draft turns out to be a misogynistic persecutor of woman, than Ozzie will have really blown the pick by selecting a bad character player and embroiling his organization in more sexual abuse controversy.
If Lewan falls to them at No. 17, then Ozzie Newsome and Eric DeCosta will really have to earn their pay; this may turn out to be one of the toughest calls in Ravens history.
Perhaps the criticism from the Atlantic City video will put so much pressure on the organization that the Ravens will pass on a very talented and much needed player regardless of any mitigating circumstances.
Because of the Atlantic City video, the Ravens must really do their homework on this issue.
Submitted by Rob Ward
