This past weekend, a long snapper in the NFL was removed from an Ohio church by police in a troubling scene that raised questions. The issue stemmed from a priest’s inquiry regarding rumors and allegations of inappropriate content being accessed on a church computer.
Jake McCoyd, a 14-year NFL veteran, became embroiled in the situation when he sought clarification from Jason Williams, the Prime Minister of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, who was addressing claims against Priest Martin Bachmann during a service at Our Lady’s Visit in Greentownship.
Church member Todd Zlek reported seeing items on the church’s laptop, describing “thumbnails to porn sites and links to various virtual reality role-playing sites” that included adult content, sexual assault, and other alarming themes, as noted by a local news outlet.
Earlier this year, Zureick filed a formal complaint with the Archdiocese. On Saturday, Williams read a letter from Archbishop Robert Casey addressing the allegations.
The letter stated, “These are under investigation and no proof of wrongdoing by either the accused or the church has been identified. It’s crucial to understand that spreading rumors is sinful and something we must work to overcome as a community.”
At this juncture, 37-year-old McCoyd stepped forward, challenging the porn allegations and demanding clarity.
“Please take a moment. I want to give you a break from these rumors. Could you answer this for me… facts or fiction?” McCoyd asked.
When someone at the altar suggested that this wasn’t the time for such questions, he retorted that he had seen something inappropriate displayed on a computer. “You can look at porn at home, but not here,” he asserted.
McCoyd, a two-time Pro Bowler, was then escorted out by police from Greentownship.
Colonel Mitch Hill later confirmed to local media that McCoyd was not arrested and had not been charged with any crime.
Archbishop Casey mentioned that Bachmann was scheduled for a sabbatical starting in July. Police indicated that investigations had not uncovered any misconduct by church clergy.
More than 700 local residents have reportedly signed petitions advocating for greater transparency in this matter.
McCoyd, who has previously played for multiple NFL teams and participated in over 160 games, has been a free agent recently, having spent time with the Vikings and Dolphins in the past year.
