“These Guys Are Getting Paid Like They’re in the NFL, So Their Egos Get Big”: Kelly Stafford Calls Out CFB Players Reacting to the Michigan vs Ohio State Brawl

Rivalry Week in college football this season delivered exactly what it promised: every game was filled with drama and upsets. Kelly Stafford, however, wasn’t a fan of the display put forth by the CFB stars due to the inflated egos she sensed in them.

In the latest edition of The Morning After with Kelly Stafford, the internet personality boldly claimed that college football has lost its charm. Kelly recalled how CFB used to have less physically intense games played by hungry young athletes. What she sees today, however, is a more aggressive version of youth football, played by young men with “big egos” on the field.

“I always loved that it felt kind of like Pop Warner football… It’s the little boys running around with their huge pads on, just wanting to make a tackle, wanting to do something for their team, wanting to win, all of these things. But watching college football this past weekend during rivalry week, I really just didn’t like it. I felt like there were a bunch of egos on the field.”

The outspoken Kelly argued that the players involved in the Michigan vs Ohio State brawl exuded arrogance, which, according to her, stemmed from their fat wallets. Kelly reasoned that young players have developed inflated egos due to the lucrative opportunities presented by NIL.

“The problem is these guys are getting paid like they’re in the NFL, so their egos get big,” said Stafford.

Kelly believes arrogance must be earned. She argued that NFL players can afford to show attitude on the field because they have made it. “When you get to the NFL, I feel like you have the right to have an ego. And I’m not saying you should, but you do have the right to because you made it to the top. You’re there,” justified Stafford.

Matthew Stafford’s partner then made an interesting point, arguing that the influx of money has led players to become more selfish and self-centered on the field. She once again referenced the Michigan vs Ohio State Brawl, stating that the constant fights, fueled by individual tempers, made for a frustrating viewing experience for her.

“All of a sudden, it becomes not a team sport anymore. It’s like me, me, me, me, okay? It’s just lost its charm for me. I watched it and I tried. Every game I turned on, a fight broke out, like an all-out brawl. And I’m going, what is going, I just was annoyed.”

While one can understand where Kelly is coming from, not paying what the players deserve is also unfair. Players are a big reason why CFB attracts so much money and it makes sense why they get paid the way they do through NIL.