Many NFL players wouldn’t want to be compared to Tim Tebow, but in Prince Amukamara‘s case, the comparison makes some sense.
Amukamara plays on the opposite side of the ball from Tebow, but they have more in common than you might imagine — like the fact that they are both virgins.
Amukamara recently did and interview with Muscle and Fitness Magazine and the Giants cornerback opened up about some of his lifestyle choices. It’s doubtful that many NFL players can say that they are voluntarily celibate and have never had a drop of alcohol, but Amukamara defies conventional perceptions, much like the unabashedly Christian quarterback.
“Some people call me the black Tim Tebow,” Amukamara told the magazine. “I am a virgin. I’m not ashamed to say that.”
The interview was pretty eye-opening about the third-year player (including the fact that he’s an actual prince in Nigeria), and the 24-year-old seems to have found his way through the macho man culture that makes up the NFL, and he is confident in his decisions. He’s even found himself a nice girl to settle down with, and he said that it’s possible that he could have his first alcoholic drink at his bachelor party.
“I told my fiancée that I’ll probably take my first drink at my bachelor party,” he said. “I don’t know if I will, but…”
Amukamara’s reasoning behind it all is exactly what you might think — he grew up Catholic, and these values were instilled in him from the outset.
“As I grew up, I realized that’s not what it’s about,” he said. “It’s about having a relationship with Jesus. It’s not about ‘Don’t do this. Don’t do that.’ But still, it’s just one of those things I haven’t done, and I don’t see any benefit to doing it. You’re always reading about people getting DUIs. So many bad things that happen and wind up in the paper are alcohol-related, so by not drinking, it saves me, my team, and my family a lot of trouble.”
A lot of NFL players could learn a lesson or two from that message.
Photo via Facebook/Prince Amukamara
