How Does Character Count in the NFL?

With the Marshawn Lynch situation dominating the headlines the last two weeks, there's been plenty of talk about the Bills players and their "character." It got me thinking that character is wide-ranging word, and it needs some definition.

Lynch's alleged crime on Chippewa has him now lumped together with James Hardy, Anthony Hargrove and Roscoe Parrish, all Bills who have had legal or league issues the past year. In most cases, they're being called players with bad character and there's a cry that the Bills are not longer concerned with the character of their players.

But what do we mean by character? If he was driving, did Lynch do a stupid thing? Of course. Is he a bad guy? Having covered him the past year, I don't think so. He's not a problem in the locker room. His teammates seem to like him. His coaches like him, and respect that he plays hard. Does one careless act make him a bad "character" guy?

Anthony Hargrove had problems with the law, and also failed two NFL drug tests. He was also one of the better-liked players in the room. He was always singing and joking with his teamates.

I don't know Hardy that well, but he has faced the media regarding some of his past issues. Word from his hometown of Ft. Wayne, IN is that he's a good guy who was raised in an enviroment of gangs, ghettos and a broken home. His coaches at Indiana had high praise for him. So is he a bad guy? Because he carries a gun, is he a character-risk? I would think that guns are prevalent in the enviroment where Hardy comes from.

I'm not sticking up for these guys. NFL players are held to a higher standard, and they should know how to live up to those standards. But these are also young men with lots of fame and money. Sometimes that can lead to bad decisions.

The Bills have no players like Chris Henry or Pacman Jones. Those are the current bad characters of the NFL. Every team has had some players in some form of trouble. That doesn't make it right, but it makes it part of the game.

I once had a coach tell me you can't win with a team full of scholar-athletes and Boy Scouts. Its an agressive game that demands agressive, on-the-edge people.

Teams want talented players they can count on. Sometimes that means taking risks. If those risks can't be counted on, they won't be on the team for very long. I don't believe the Bills have opened the door to every bad guy in the NFL. They do extensive homework, but they also sometimes fall in love with talent, and overlook the shortcomings.

How do you define character? Is it mean everything about a player? Does a mistake make a player a bad character? I welcome your comments.