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ESPN got personal in its NFL Draft coverage this year — a little too much for some fans’ liking, resulting in the network apologizing for one case in particular. When Tee Higgins was drafted 33rd overall Friday night by the Cincinnati Bengals, ESPN flashed a “Get to Know” graphic about the star Clemson wide receiver. …
ESPN got personal in its NFL Draft coverage this year — a little too much for some fans’ liking, resulting in the network apologizing for one case in particular.
When Tee Higgins was drafted 33rd overall Friday night by the Cincinnati Bengals, ESPN flashed a “Get to Know” graphic about the star Clemson wide receiver. Underneath his hometown, info about his basketball prowess and noting that his sister plays college basketball was another fact about his mother.
“Mom, Camilla, fought drug addiction for 16 years,” the graphic read.
Many viewers took to social media wondering why ESPN would include such personal information in the graphic, which aired on ABC’s broadcast of the draft, though Higgins himself didn’t seem to mind.
“I’m proud of my mom for turning her life around for me and my sister! I have no problem with them showing the world that my mom is a true fighter,” Higgins tweeted Saturday in response to one of the tweets calling ESPN out.
Still, ESPN issued an apology to the Washington Post, saying the graphic “should not have aired.”
“It was a mistake and we apologize for it,” ESPN vice president of production Seth Markman told the newspaper in a statement Sunday. “We want our draft coverage to personalize players and, where appropriate, acknowledge the obstacles they’ve had to overcome on their journey to the NFL. This graphic lacked proper context.”
Higgins has given some more context to his mom’s story in prior interviews. At his NFL Combine press conference, Higgins spoke about his mother’s struggles, saying she was addicted to drugs and “in and out of prison” while he was growing up.
“Her story is why I’m here,” Higgins said. “She kept me playing football. Now that she’s 12 years clean, she’s unbelievable.
“I want to have her stress-free. I don’t want her to work anymore. I just want to have her living her best life.”
