Share and Follow
Joe Judge finds himself on the defensive.
As an assistant coach for Ole Miss football, Judge stirred up some controversy on Thursday when his testimony about the sleep habits of football players and the role of mothers came under scrutiny during the Trinidad Chambliss eligibility hearing. On Saturday, he took to X to clarify his statements.
“Some of my comments from Thursday have been taken out of context, so I’d like to provide some clarity,” Judge wrote. “During a discussion about Trinidad’s sleep apnea, I highlighted the NFL’s emphasis on sleep for recovery and performance, as well as the importance of managing family dynamics during the football season.”
He continued, “These discussions are informed by veteran players’ experiences at the professional level and aren’t ones we’ve had in college settings. As a husband and father of four, I fully grasp these challenges and would never downplay family commitments. We share that same dedication to family with our players and always support them through any personal challenges they encounter.”
In his Thursday testimony regarding athletes’ sleep needs, Judge asserted that the partners of football players should refrain from asking them to care for babies during the night, to ensure they get adequate rest for optimal performance on the field.
“We’d have to educate significant others who may have been pregnant during the season or were going to have a baby during the season,” Judge said in the Thursday testimony. “And you’d have to educate them on, you have this baby in the middle of the season, that father has to play good football,” Judge said, after acknowledging that it would be an unpopular opinion.
“It’s a day-by-day production business. He has to be ready to perform and go out there and play. And when I say that is, you need to let him sleep. He needs to be in the other room, detached. You have to explain to the mother, hey listen, he ain’t waking up for midnight feedings.”
Judge, who was the Giants’ head coach for two seasons in 2020-21, did add that after the season’s over, the “significant other” can make him change “every diaper.”
As for the Chambliss eligibility case, a Mississippi judge granted the Ole Miss quarterback an extra year of eligibility, granting his request for a preliminary injunction on Thursday.
The decision is subject to an appeal if the NCAA decides to go that route.