Athletes and Guns
By Arty Berko, Steve Delsohn and Lindsay Rovegno
Special to ESPN.com
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New England Patriots wide receiver Jabar Gaffney, a gun owner himself, said he thinks 90 percent of NFL players have firearms.
"Lots of guys I know have weapons either in their house or, in places where you can carry it, they have a permit to carry it," Gaffney said.
Some athletes own guns for hunting, but most athletes who carry guns do so for self-protection.
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Another armed athlete is former NFL player Jay Williams.
"I carry a gun every day of my life. When I get up in the morning and get dressed it goes on my hip, and when I go to bed at night it comes off my hip," said Williams, who played 10 years in the NFL, most recently with the Miami Dolphins in 2004. "I would rather have it and not need it, than need it and not have it."
Williams is now a gun dealer, selling weapons mostly at gun shows and over the Internet. He says some clients are athletes.
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The NBA and NFL have similar policies regarding players and guns, each noting that even if players are licensed to carry a gun, they cannot carry them into stadiums and arenas, practice facilities or on team planes.
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