“To anybody who thinks for one minute that passion is something that is cheap and futile, have two words for them: ‘You suck,’ “DeMaurice Smith told Univeristy of Maryland students at their graduation today.
Smith, the executive director of the NFL Players Association, was the ceremony’s commencement speaker and he delivered a strong message.
“For anybody who would ever think that it is the wrong thing to do to care so much that you’re willing to risk everything because it is right, reserve those two words for them,” Smith said, once again referring to Maryland’s “You Suck” chant that goes along to Gary Glitter’s Rock ‘N Roll Part 2.
He emphasized the necessity of pursuing what you’re passionate about through comparisons to the NFLPA’s current fight against the owners’ lockout. “The decision to pursue and if necessary fight for what is fair was a decision those players made two years ago,” Smith said.
“I’ve got to tell you, it’s vastly different from something as simple as ‘shut up and play.’ That’s not the decision that we made. We made the decision to fight for who we were going to be and who we are.”
He attended classes at Maryland in 1985 and 1986, but received his bachelor’s degree at Cedarville University and his law degree at the University of Virginia School of Law. He continues to teach at the Virginia.
Prior to his speech, the students welcomed him with chants of “We want football”. Smith’s response: “I want football, too.”
Smith declined to discuss specifics about the lockout and the pending appeals case on the original ruling that the lockout is illegal. “We believe as a group that it is important to fight for fairness and I’m proud of the players who have stepped up to be leaders.”
