College Football Coach Says Players Much Be ‘Detached’ Fathers if They Want to Succeed: ‘He Ain’t Waking Up for Midnight Feedings’

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Ole Miss football coach Joe Judge claimed that romantic partners of players must let them be “detached” from the responsibilities of fatherhood during the season.

Judge on Thursday was in court speaking on behalf of quarterback Trinidad Chambliss. The 23-year-old QB is seeking another year of eligibility to continue his college career at Ole Miss. It would be his sixth year as a collegiate athlete.

The NCAA last week denied Chambliss’s waiver for another year, prompting him to take the college football governing body to court.

During Judge’s appearance at the hearing, the topic of fatherhood was brought up. That’s when he explained the difficulties of having to explain to young mothers that, in order for players to succeed, they can’t be as present throughout the season.

“This is always a tough conversation to have. It’s not a popular thing, but this is the truth,” said Judge, who continued:

We would have to educate significant others who may have been pregnant during the season, or were gonna have a baby during the season, that you would have to educate them on, you have this baby in the middle of the season, [but] that father has to play good football. It’s a day-by-day production business. He has to be ready to perform and go out there and play. And why I say that is, you need to let him sleep. He needs to be in another room, detached. You have to explain to the mother like, hey, listen, he ain’t waking up for midnight feedings.

After the season, he’s Full Metal Jacket. You do whatever you want with him, and he can change every diaper; but in the season, he’s got to have a different priority.

Those comments were not received well.

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