Personal Protection A Serious Issue For Pro Athletes

Back in 2005, many of us followed the story of Jerome McDougle of the Philadelphia Eagles who was shot in the abdomen by a group of assailants. Luckily, McDougle recovered… but the incident caused him to miss the entire 2005 season. Another recent incident found Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Philip Buchanon pistol whipped, stripped naked and robbed in his own home. These are not random, isolated incidents. These men were targeted because of their high profile status as professional athletes… and the problem is only getting worse.

Fast forward to more recent history and we have witnessed the tragic death of Sean Taylor and the drive-by murder of Darrent Williams. Although hindsight is always 20/20…it is my contention that all of the above tragedies and near-tragedies could have been avoided by taking modest pro-active steps to anticipate and guard against the most common type of outside threat. And mark my words…players and team management had better begin to be pro-active very quickly because the threat is only getting more sophisticated and much, much worse.

In today’s total access internet world we often do not stop to think that almost everyone has access to almost everything about us and our lives. Dedicated amateurs with an internet connection can find out our home address, our shopping habits, the names of our family members, past sweethearts and school chums. The dedicated stalker or professional thief can find out what kind of a car we drive, where we party and where we are scheduled to speak or to appear. The days of personal privacy and guarded anonymity are gone and will not be recovered. For those who play professional sports, the problem may be even worse than for other high profile and high net worth individuals. One additional problem faced by professional athletes that is not faced by others can come from a fan enraged by a lost sports bet. Another problem unique to the professional sports world can be created by the psychological makeup of those who obsess on the masculine sports prowess of those who have something that they (the thief or stalker) will never be able to attain. The sick desire to humiliate, beat up, rob…or in some way compromise…someone who the perpetrator sees as superior is deep seated and intense and (worst of all) something that the normal person would not necessarily see coming.

All across the sports industry…including at the high profile college level…people are talking about this problem and looking for positive solutions. And the real solutions may be easier and more cost-effective to implement than many might imagine. The key is to very clearly and non-passionately identify potential risks and liabilities, then work with a seasoned security/protection specialist or firm to evaluate all available information and to suggest the least intrusive, best counter measures to mitigate all concerns. This can be done on a personal, family or team level.

There are many factors that need to be taken into account when going through a professional risk assessment procedure…and this procedure will be very different depending on the unique and special circumstances of each team or each individual professional player. For example: Have you or anyone in your family been the target of a recent blackmail scam? Are you being bothered by a persistent stalker or overzealous fan? Have you been compromised by video stalking? Are you getting a great deal of media coverage? Are there situations in your private personal life that are now drawing attention? Do you travel overseas? Is anyone “close” to you involved in criminal activity? How safe is your home? How safe is your family?

Just picking up the Yellow Pages to hire some goon with a gun to be a “bodyguard” is not enough in today’s world of more sophisticated personal threats. To be really safe…you want smart on your side. You want competent, confident and discrete personal protection from an individual or firm that has been battle-tested and experience-seasoned. You want to work with those who personally and directly understand the unique life-style and unique threats faced by the professional athlete. You want someone who can fade into the background and who you would trust with your life. A $60 an hour rent-a-cop is much too likely to be untested, unseasoned, dazzled by the spot light and too easily approached by the tabloid press.

Which brings us to the code of strict professional ethics and guaranteed confidentiality offered by security professionals. This code is a standard at the highest levels of executive protection. This is a promise that is given without question to government officials, diplomats and business people when being escorted and guarded overseas…and one that you should expect absolutely from anyone you chose to protect you, your family and your assets. If anyone interested in offering their services to you or your team balks in any way at providing a legally binding non-disclosure agreement, then you should terminate the discussion and find someone who will not only guarantee their personal integrity by a handshake… but who will also back up that handshake in writing.

Keep in mind that personal protection is just that…the very protection of your personal self, your personal assets, your reputation, your career and your family. When interviewing a protection specialist, you should expect him to ask you many questions…and you should expect to ask many questions of him. Find out right from the get go if this is going to be a trusted, personal match…since, literally, your very life, the life of a loved one, your career and your personal fortune may be at stake. Come to your first meeting with any new security firm with a prepared list of important questions: What is your background and qualifications? Do you have overseas experience? Police training? Military Training? How do we determine the duration of our agreement? How do we terminate this agreement if we decide it is not working for mutual benefit? What are the hourly rates? How do we handle travel and out-of-pocket expenses? What are the duty hours? What are the contingency plans for unexpected situations? Are you willing to execute a legally binding non-disclosure agreement? Will you submit to a background check? Pre-employment screening? Write down and ask any questions that you feel are important to you…then move on to the question that only you can answer quietly in your own heart: Do I trust this person? Will he (or she) help make me and my family safe? If there is even only an ounce of doubt…move on and interview someone else.

The old ego days of the entourage or posse and the big buffed-up “body guard” are dead…just as dead (very sad to say) as those who led their lives without serious professional protection and paid the ultimate price for careless inattention. Many players and team front office staff will worry that they cannot afford executive level protection services…but the cost of serious security is more easily afforded than many might realize (and certainly cheaper than a lost season or lost reputation). Even an initial professional security assessment can spot vulnerabilities that may have gone unnoticed by those living their lives each day. We all buy insurance because we know we need it…but really hope to never use it. For the high profile individual, for the high net worth family…for the professional athlete and team owner…quality, personal security is one of the most cost-effective “insurance policies” available today. In these troubled times, doing “nothing” or waiting too long to implement personal security precautions may prove to be the most costly mistake of all.

Michael D. Brown heads Bishop Innovative Group, LLC and comes from a significant background protecting government officials, diplomats and business executives on difficult foreign assignments. Mr. Brown can be reached at (904) 514-5727. For more information go to http://bishopinnovativegroup.com.