HOUSTON, TX – NOVEMBER 30: DeAndre Hopkins #10 of the Houston Texans in action on the field prior to the start of their game against the Tennessee Titans at NRG Stadium on November 30, 2014 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Scott Halleran/Getty Images)

The NFL has been widely criticized in the past for not taking domestic violence seriously, and in the past it has given tougher suspensions for players found using marijuana than those found guilty of domestic violence.

Texans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins wants to make sure domestic violence is taken more seriously by fans and his colleagues in the NFL.

At a breakfast with Houston high school students, Hopkins recalled his family’s own domestic violence story: When he was 12 years old, his mother’s boyfriend at the time threw acid on her face, leaving her blind. It has affected Hopkins’ life tremendously, and he wants to make sure the younger generation stands up to domestic violence in ways they haven’t always been taught to do.

From HoustonTexans.com:

“It left her blind in both eyes,” Hopkins said. “So, since the age of 12, my mother has never seen me play a football game or a basketball game. Domestic violence is something that’s deeper than just the word domestic violence to some.”

“It’s an ongoing battle, but we’ve overcome it and we still have got a lot to do in life,” Hopkins said. “All of you all in here, it might not hit you. It might not be your family that’s in a domestic violence relationship. It might be the next-door neighbors that you hear arguing everyday. I know you all are young and you all like to go by the rule, ‘No snitching’ but it’s really not about that. It’s deeper than that. It’s about somebody being affected long-term.”

It’s a message both our younger generation and people in the NFL need to hear. Good for Hopkins for speaking up, when many others have been silent.

[Houston Texans]

About Kevin Trahan

Kevin mostly covers college football and college basketball, with an emphasis on NCAA issues and other legal issues in sports. He is also an incoming law student. He's written for SB Nation, USA Today, VICE Sports, The Guardian and The Wall Street Journal, among others. He is a graduate of Northwestern University.