APA - College Football Players Can Cry (A Little) if They Want to

When Tim Tebow and his Florida Gators lost to Alabama for the SEC Championship back in 2009, he cried, and then he was ridiculed in the press for his tears - with people referring to him as Tim Tearbow. The internet, as only it can be, was even more brutal:

In a review summary of three recent studies published in the APA journal, Psychology of Men and Masculinity, the American Psychological Association posted this press release about college football players and crying. They reveal some interesting conclusions about how these young men feel about showing emotions.

Seems Tim Tebow wasn't too out of line after all.

College Football Players Can Cry (A Little) if They Want to

Expressing Emotions May Give Players Mental Edge, Research Finds


WASHINGTON—While there’s no crying in baseball, as Tom Hanks’ character famously proclaimed in “A League of Their Own,” crying in college football might not be a bad thing, at least in the eyes of one’s teammates.


Although college football players feel pressure to conform to some male stereotypes, players who display physical affection toward their teammates are happier, according to new research. The findings were reported in a special section of Psychology of Men and Masculinity, published by the American Psychological Association.


“Overall, college football players who strive to be stronger and are emotionally expressive are more likely to have a mental edge on and off the field,” said psychologist Jesse Steinfeldt, PhD, of Indiana University-Bloomington, who co-authored each article in the special section.

Here are some additional excerpts:

Those who read about Jack tearing up after losing thought his behavior was appropriate, but drew the line at his sobbing. The players also said they were more likely to tear up than sob if they were in Jack’s situation. Players who read vignettes in which Jack sobs after losing a game said his reaction was more typical among football players than the players who read that Jack sobs after his team won the game.


“In 2009, the news media disparaged University of Florida quarterback Tim Tebow for crying on the sidelines after losing a big game, even labeling him Tim ‘Tearbow,’” said psychologist Y. Joel Wong, PhD, the study’s lead author. “However, the college football players in our study who believed Jack’s crying was appropriate had higher self-esteem. In contrast, players who believed Jack’s crying was inappropriate yet felt they would likely cry in Jack’s situation had lower self-esteem.

* * * * * *

[Another] study found players do feel pressure to conform to these [traditional masculine] gender roles. But players who were never affectionate toward their teammates were less satisfied with life.


In another study of 197 mostly white college football players from three NCAA Division II level schools, the drive to be muscular meant more risk taking, less emotion and a stronger work ethic. But wanting to be more muscular was not related to the players’ desire to win or a tendency to be physically violent. For most, the primary reason they wanted to be muscular was so they could perform better on the field and avoid injuries. A secondary reason was so they could appear more “manly,” with a better physical appearance and sex appeal.

Full Citations:

“A Contextual Examination of Gender Role Conflict Among College Football Players,” Jesse A. Steinfeldt, PhD, Y. Joel Wong, PhD, Aleska R. Hagan, PhD, and Jacquelyn M. Hoag, PhD, Indiana University-Bloomington; Matthew C. Steinfeldt, PhD, Fort Lewis College; Psychology of Men & Masculinity, Vol. 12, No. 4.


“Drive for Muscularity and Conformity to Masculine Norms Among College Football Players,” Jesse A. Steinfeldt, PhD, Indiana University-Bloomington; Garrett A. Gilchrist, PhD, Pacific Lutheran University; Aaron W. Halterman, PhD, and Alexander Gomory, PhD, Indiana University-Bloomington; Matthew C. Steinfeldt, PhD, Fort Lewis College; Psychology of Men & Masculinity, Vol. 12, No. 4.


“Men’s Tears: Football Players’ Evaluations of Crying Behavior,” Y. Joel Wong, PhD, Jesse A. Steinfeldt, PhD, Julie R. LaFollette, PhD, and Shu-Ching Tsao, Indiana University-Bloomington; Psychology of Men & Masculinity, Vol. 12, No. 4.