New York Giants cornerback Prince Amukamara has only to laugh when he hears his teammates refer to him as the “black Tim Tebow.” Considering Tebow’s Christian values and his faith, Amukamara doesn’t mind the comparison one bit.
In a society where athletes are constantly in the news for the negative things they do, Amukamara is proud of his lifestyle. At 24, he’s never taken a drink, and he’s still a virgin prior to his upcoming wedding.
Not that there haven’t been temptations. The allure of the large sum of money he’s paid as a pro football star, the glamor of the NFL and the glitz of living near New York City have given him plenty of opportunities to stray.
“It is true, I still haven’t had a drink,” Amukamara told Muscle Fitness magazine. “I grew up Catholic, so it just started out as one of those things. I’d think, ‘If I do this, maybe I can get to heaven,’ so I said no drinks, no sex, all the big things.
“As I grew up, I realized that’s not what it’s about. It’s about having a relationship with Jesus. It’s not about ‘don’t do this or don’t do that.’ But still, it’s just one of those things I haven’t done, and I don’t see any benefit to doing it. So many bad things that happen and wind up in the paper are alcohol-related, so by not drinking, it saves me, my team and my family a lot of trouble.”
And the virginity thing?
“Yeah, I’m a virgin. I’m not ashamed to say that,” Amukamara told Muscle Fitness.
Amukamara and his fiancée, Pilar Davis, plan to get married the week after Super Bowl XLVIII, which will be hosted by the Giants at MetLife Stadium next February.
But living a clean lifestyle doesn’t mean Amukamara isn’t having fun. Besides the fact that he already owns a Super Bowl ring (2011), Amukamara does hit the town at times in New York.
“I still enjoy going out,” says Amukamara, who literally is a prince because his father is a chief in a village in Nigeria. “I still enjoy dancing, and I get high off of everyone else’s high. If everyone is having a good time, that makes me have more fun, even though I don’t need everyone to be happy for me to be happy, if that makes sense.”
The Giants are 0-2 to begin the 2012-2013 season, with losses to Dallas and Denver.
