Red flags aren’t just for the football field—they’re all over social media. The importance of social media screenings cannot be overstated in today’s market. In an era where public perception can make or break an athlete’s career, social media has become a double-edged sword. While a criminal background check is undoubtedly important, certain industries require a deeper background check, delving into the social media history of an individual. Sports leagues are billion-dollar business ventures that should be safeguarded with basic risk mitigation, like background checks. While athletes and coaches can generate mass adulation from fans, vitriol and widespread criticism are just as easily earned—especially through views expressed on social media. Modern athletes who utilize social media have a huge, often worldwide, platform, and their voice can just as easily amass controversy as it can adoration.
Seemingly harmless posts can alienate fans, teammates, and owners. In this digital age, a single misstep can quickly spiral into a public relations crisis that impacts both the athlete’s career and the team’s reputation.
Social media screening consists of an overall background check focused on an individual’s online media presence. Any content found online by or about the candidate would be examined to identify controversial content. In the case of athletes, their social media interactions would be a primary focus, including posts, likes, and shares. All social media profiles, including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and others maintained by athletes would be reviewed for past and present posts that could be deemed offensive or otherwise controversial. Interactions with certain types of profiles would also be evaluated to alert team managers and owners about their players’ online activities.
Checkers’ expert team of researchers efficiently navigates social media profiles maintained by athletes, as well as internet results about them. Active Reddit communities and Facebook groups, for example, are often where an athlete’s rising star could be discussed or information about interactions with the athlete, and therefore their reputation, could be questioned. In both legal contexts and the court of public opinion, organizations are often judged not just by what they knew but also what they should have known about an athlete before they chose to bring them onto the team.
Done properly with an expert vendor like Checkers International, social media checks will flag potential hate speech, discriminatory or defamatory statements, illegal activity, and behavior that could indicate poor judgement, among many other relevant content categories for teams to make informed decisions about who to bring on board. This is especially important when onboarding new players but also should not be overlooked during contract negotiations with established players. Having this insight allows teams to make informed decisions during recruitment and contract negotiations, ensuring alignment between personal values and the organization’s culture.
These screenings benefit both the league and the teams by revealing the character and image of the players. A negative social media presence can devastate a sports franchise and the communities they represent – social media screening allows teams to get out ahead of any potential issues.
The modern athlete is an extension of their team brand, and with that comes the responsibility of maintaining the brand. In today’s digital landscape, where one social media post instantaneously reaches a worldwide platform, one inappropriate post or liked comment could harm the team’s image.
In 2019, the San Francisco 49ers drafted defensive end Nick Bosa, a highly touted college football player, considered to be one of the best players available in the draft. Yet, despite his football prowess, unearthed social media activity sparked controversy. One of his posts included an insult directed at former 49ers quarterback and activist Colin Kaepernick. In this situation, the 49ers’ reputation and team cohesion were at stake. Kaepernick’s release and the controversy surrounding his political activism were still fresh, and the incoming player’s post exacerbated an already delicate situation. A sports franchise should know beforehand if a player fits the team off the field. Instead, the 49ers found themselves publicly defending their draft pick, and Bosa himself gave an interview in which he apologized for his past online behavior.
The age-old excuse of being young and not knowing any better is common, and professional athletes are no exception. Athletes may change their mentality over the years, but it’s possible that their social media profiles don’t always reflect that change. Those old tweets from high school? They’re likely still there, and future employers and fans can see them. For instance, in 2018, MLB pitcher Josh Hader was embroiled in a scandal when racist tweets were discovered on his X profile. His posts included racially insensitive, misogynistic, and homophobic content posted before his 18th birthday.
Major League Baseball is a melting pot of nationalities and is a global brand. Years had passed both since the tweets were first posted and since Hader had been drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in 2014. In 2018, Hader yielded a three-run homer during the All-Star Game. By the end of the game, his past social media had been discovered, lying dormant until he sparked enough interest for internet sleuths to dig a bit deeper. A thorough social media background investigation should have been conducted before his entry into professional sports, or even at the college level.
College athletes are not exempt from media scrutiny. Despite their amateur status, college athletes represent their schools and attract significant attention. As representatives of their universities, it is important that their social media reputation meets a high standard. Some careers can be derailed before they even begin, as was the case for a University of Texas football player who was kicked off the team after an offensive Facebook post was revealed in 2008.
A collegiate career could be jeopardized by one bad post. In 2022, an incoming high school quarterback had his scholarship rescinded after a video surfaced in which he was heard using a racial slur. The video showed the prospective player singing along to a song that contained the slur. Unfortunately, many young athletes fail to understand the permanence of social media.
The NCAA’s Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) program, which allows collegiate athletes to control their image and earn compensation, adds an even greater need for risk mitigation in the form of background checks. According to the Sports Business Journal, “Nearly three-quarters of all name, image and likeness activity in the college space comes from social media posts and content creation.” College athletes now have more power and a higher profile than ever before, and this comes with heightened scrutiny. With the NIL program, athletes are incentivized to post on social media as often as professional athletes to build their brand ahead of joining a professional team. It is more important than ever for college athletics programs to protect their own brands by utilizing in-depth social media background checks.
While not immediately apparent, unearthing criminal activity can also result from an online media check. Databases and even social media websites can provide valuable insight into potentially illegal activities of athletes. These offenses could include copyright infringement, defamatory statements, and breaches of sponsorship contracts. Posts related to both civil and criminal cases are flagged by researchers pursuant to applicable laws.
In 2023, NBA player Ja Morant was suspended by the Memphis Grizzlies after a video surfaced online of him holding a gun. This was the second instance of Morant getting in trouble with his team for brandishing a firearm. Morant’s actions caused the team to suspend him and garnered negative media attention. A social media background check can alert teams to their players’ personal activities and interests, including firearms.
Not only are social media background checks critical for athletes, but teams also are built on the coaches' and staff members’ ability to lead and recruit those teams. In this era, what a coach or recruiter does online is immediately available not only to fans, who may question the team’s decision to bring that person on, but also to the athletes that person is intended to lead. The same is true for administrators and employees of professional teams, leagues, and collegiate athletic departments.
A recent example of this happened at the University of Michigan. The Athletic Department hired Glenn Schembechler, as an Assistant Director of Recruiting. While Schembechler was previously a scout for numerous NFL teams, his contract with Michigan was a homecoming. Unfortunately, within hours of the announcement of Schembechler’s hiring, fans and rivals alike discovered activity on his X profile where he “liked” offensive and insensitive content involving slavery and Jim Crow. This begged the question of how he could effectively perform his role as a recruiter if his online presence was offensive to many of the athletes and families he sought to form relationships with. After outcry from fans of the University, Schembechler apologized for his “flippant behavior on Twitter” and resigned from this role within three days.
According to ESPN, “A source with knowledge of the situation told ESPN that Schembechler went through a thorough background check during the hiring process,” however, the process was clearly inadequate as cursory social media screening would have easily revealed this activity. Not only are incidents such as these a distraction from the team’s mission, but it is a negative mark on the school’s reputation and requires leadership, such as the Athletic Director and Head Coach, to dedicate resources to remedying the damage.
Checkers International delivers detailed background investigation reports highlighting potentially controversial online activity. By leveraging a robust screening process, teams can proactively address potential issues before they escalate into public relations issues. With Checkers International, sports franchises can rest assured that a team of highly attentive researchers is properly vetting their coaches’ and players’ social media presence. A public figure’s digital footprint can make or break a sports team—why not mitigate the risk? With a comprehensive social media background check, sports teams can maintain a positive reputation, safeguard team morale, and promote positive role models for fans. A thorough overview of coaches’ and athletes’ social media presence is no longer just an option—it’s a risk mitigation necessity. Contact Checkers International for an in-depth social media check and protect your team today.
Juan Diaz is a Senior Media Researcher for Checkers International based out of Southern California. He began with the company in 2018. He studied communications at Woodbury University where he also became a member of the Lambda Pi Eta Communications Honor Society. Prior to becoming a media researcher, he was a freelance entertainment writer focusing on SEO-based content.
