This morning I read the following short excerpt from Josh Rosen’s interview with ESPN , and I’ll admit it, I was initially triggered.

“OK, my family isn’t, like, stupid-wealthy. But I’m coming from a place where if football doesn’t work out, I don’t have to work at McDonald’s…”

My first thoughts were:

“Well how great for you if this fun game doesn’t work out that mommy and daddy can support you. You have SO many options and this is just one of them.”

As someone who grew up with a single mother who worked in a meat packing factory, a job she HAD to work, it felt like he was belittling those that HAVE to work at McDonald’s- a job that is clearly beneath him.

We all hear what we want.

We are all a product of our upbringing and environment, but sometimes those past experiences cloud our judgements and reality.

So I read the article… and boy am I glad I did, because I was wrong.

“…My passion for this game lies in the game, not my need to play it. Tons of players needed this game, needed the money, played it out of obligation and burned out. I don’t need it and still I give everything to it.”

Rosen comes from an affluent family, but that doesn’t mean he’s a self-righteous piece of shit who thinks less of people who work minimum wage jobs. In fact, he sounds both grateful for the life he’s been given, and fully aware of the fiscal position other players may be living.

“A lot of these guys, if they don’t get food from the team, they’re not going to eat. Food budgets are starting to increase around the country. I know [new UCLA coach] Chip Kelly is pushing it as far as he can. Same thing with gas. They can’t see their family if they can’t afford to drive. How are you going to recruit a poor kid from Louisiana to UCLA if you have to tell them they can’t see their family over Christmas because we can’t fly them back?”

All of a sudden I remembered he’s been an advocate for student-athletes for a bit now. Completely blacked that out in my initial rage.

In fact, it turns out, he’s a pretty opened-minded kid who wants to learn about everything and anything.

He’s also confident as fuck, and I like it.

“I want to be the winningest QB in NFL history. I want to win the most games and most championships. I’d say six titles, but if Tom Brady gets six, I’ll say seven.”

Sounds a bit like the scrawny kid who went up to Robert Kraft, looked him in the eyes, and delivered “I’m the best decision this organization has ever made.”

Except he may appreciate hot tubs a little more than #12.

[via ESPN]