Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward’s sister is speaking out, claiming she received “threats,” “hate” and “bullying” following the Titans’ 12-7 Sunday, September 27, loss to the New York Giants.
Ward, 24, threw a crucial interception in the final minute as the Titans were threatening to score what would have been the game-winning touchdown.
“The fact I even have to post this is diabolical,” Chantel Ward wrote via her Instagram Story after the game. “People see the football games. They see the wins, the losses, the interceptions, the touchdowns, the press conferences and everything that happens on the field. What they don’t see is what comes with it for the people who love these players when the game is over.”
She continued, “After games, people come directly into my DMs on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram with threats, hate, bullying, personal attacks and disrespect toward me and my family — all over football.”
On the next slide, Chantel shared a photo of an alleged direct message from someone she claimed was responding to her story to illustrate her point.
“Maybe he shouldn’t play like a f***ing r***** and people would come in here and congratulate you,” the alleged commenter wrote.
“Criticize the game. Criticize a play. Be frustrated with your team,” Chantel posted. “That’s sports and I completely understand that. But seeking out a player’s sister, parents or other family members to personally attack them because you’re upset about what happened on a football field is something completely different.”
She then reminded fans that while Cam is a quarterback to them, he’s been her little brother for his entire life.
“So when people come onto my page or into my messages disrespecting him, me or my family and then tell me don’t take it personal’ — how exactly am I supposed to take it?” she asked. “And trust me, the screenshots I share are only a fraction of what comes through. There’s so much that happens outside of those football games that people will never see.”
Cam’s head coach, Robert Saleh, told the media after the game that his quarterback needs to be “smarter with the football.” The Titans were at first-and-goal on the Giants’ 8-yard line at the time of the interception.
“We’re gonna score, you don’t need to force it in that situation,” said Saleh, 47. “Unfortunately It happened.”
Chantel concluded by reminding followers that “there are real people and real families on the other side of these screens.”
“Football is a game. Being passionate about your team does not give you permission to forget people’s humanity,” she said. “But threats, harassment, bullying and attacking someone’s family will never be “just part of the game.”
