I stand with KC Concepcion!!!

Wouldn’t you know that it’d be a group of idiots on social media who would make the list of this weeks “bonehead, mean, cruel and a–hole moves in sports! I won’t even give them the benefit of a name (albeit most of them nameless and faceless anyway, hiding behind social media).

But this weeks Sports Flop award goes to those trolls who made fun of Texas A&M Wide Receiver MR. KC CONCEPCION! I cap his name because he responded like a real G ought to respond. It’s the thing we teach at Next Tally to young men and women athletes, who face the unexpected.

KC has a speech impediment. He stutters. But you can fully understand his message. If you’d only stop laughing and bullying and heckling; and listen. He can’t help it. But that didn’t stop the ignorant trolls who heckled him online as he spoke to reporters at the NFL combine this past weekend. It was some of the nastiest commentary I think I’ve ever read. It takes a strong person to withstand this kind of bullying. And our guy KC stood tall. What in the absolute hell have we come to?

Here’s a kid who is arguably one of the best young recruits to take the field in this potential new class of 2026. He was ALL SEC in 2025! This dude is the real deal! He just wants to realize a dream that so many young football players have: To play in the freakin’ NFL. In fact, he’s expected to go as a late round 1st pick! I don’t know him personally. I only read about him in my draft notes and as an avid fan of football. And I have some Texas A&M ties, so I keep up with the team.

Folks, there are more than 80-million Americans who have speech impediments. And men outpace women 4-1. Young males outpace girls 2-1. There is treatment and many therapies, but no absolute cure. It doesn’t make a person any smarter (or like these trolls “dumber”) than anyone else. And while there are some references to neurological factors, folks who stutter are not necessarily emotionally or physically challenged. There are giants among us who stuttered and went on to become some of the greatest achievers of our time. The late-great actor James Earl Jones comes to mind. So did the great NBA legend and Sports Announcer Bill Walton. And then there’s my friend and legendary NBA player Kenyon Martin from Dallas, who later went on to become and advocate for Americans who live with speech impediments.

And there was KC…having his day in the lights, talking with the sports media and holding his own very well. I salute this young man. I personally salute him as an individual who was put in remedial classes because of my inability to put a full sentence together. I hated when my parents put me back in a reading class (with younger kids) so I could catch up. I felt dumb. Now I REALLY feel dumb, because they had my best interests at heart. They knew what they were doing. I didn’t stutter, but I had a problem speaking, reading and composing sentences. Who knew? Edward R. Murrow, AP, NYABJ, Emmy–(for the kid with the speech impediment).

And like a true gentleman, KC took to his X account and posted this response to the trolls:

Folks, I don’t know where this young man is going to fall in the draft. It’s such a tough competition, who knows if he’ll make the cut at all. Stranger things have happened. But it sure as hell won’t be because of his speech. I’ve seen his work on the field. He speaks with his play. And he’s a bigger sportsman than any of our media idiot award-winners (and you know who you are) who heckled him. I would advise you to go online, and immediately go to STUTTERINGHELP.ORG to get more information about this disorder which affects so many Americans. And then find out what you can do to understand and then help spread awareness about speech impediments. And then the biggest ask: Starting with you, do all you can to mitigate the mocking which occurs daily to those who suffer from it.

And to you KC– Kick ass and take names son! And I’m offering Next Tally’s Media Crisis Aversion consultation to you pro bono! You deserve it! Have your parents or coaches reach out to me and we’ll make arrangements.

Unk