Jeremy Green, son of former NFL coach Dennis Green, has been arrested in Connecticut on a charge related to child pornography. Jeremy Green is also an ESPN analyst. He was picked up Thursday around 5 p.m. in a Southington hotel. He is charged with possession of child pornography, possession of narcotics and possession of drug paraphernalia.

He is being held on $750,000 bond and police are not releasing details of the warrant, which is now sealed. He has worked with ESPN since 2005.

Jeremy's father, Dennis Green, was one of the most successful African American coaches in the history of the NFL. His 1998 run with the Minnesota Vikings led to a 15-1 record for the team, and the most points scored by any NFL team during any one season. The team made it to the NFC Championship game that year, led by Randy Moss and other great players the team had that year.

The price paid by the families of some NFL coaches can be steep. Another great African American coach, Tony Dungy, dealt with the suicide of his son in 2005. Philadelphia Eagles coach Andy Reid saw both of his sons go to prison on drug-related charges in 2007. The long hours of an NFL coach may come with the glory of victory, but the highest price may be the one they pay in their personal lives.

I'm not here to say whether or not Dennis' son is guilty. I am also not here to say that Dennis was a bad father. Sometimes, our kids make bad choices, and there's nothing we can do about it. Either way, these complications can make us wonder if we did the right thing by our children.


Dr. Boyce Watkins is the founder of the Your Black World Coalition and a Scholarship in Action Resident of the Institute for Black Public Policy. To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your email, please click here.