Snoop Dogg’s Son Says He Only Played Football To Make His Dad Happy

It's been a rocky 2015 for rappers and their UCLA football-playing offspring. Earlier this year, Diddy was arrested at (and subsequently banned from) the Bruins' practice facility after a dispute with assistant coach and former NFL staffer Sal Alosi turned physical. Diddy claims that Alosi had been riding his son, Justin, unreasonably hard, and when the rapper and mogul confronted him in his office, weightlifting equipment was swung. But where Justin was a marginal member of the squad, another MC's kid was one of UCLA's most highly touted recruits. Cordell Broadus, better known to the sports-averse in the rap world as Snoop Dogg's son, was one of the top-ranked wide receivers in his high school class, and was expected to make a significant dent in Pac-12 secondaries. Yet just as camp was starting this August, he walked away from the sport altogether.

Yesterday (Oct. 20) during the festivities for his father's birthday, Cordell broke his silence on the matter. According to TMZ, the younger Broadus explained that he was able to hang up his cleats only once he realized that his father's affection wasn't contingent on his gridiron exploits. "I played football for my father because I thought that was the only way he would love me and be apart of my life," Cordell said. "It took me 12 years to realize he loves Cordell Broadus the person not Cordell Broadus the football player." Finally, he added, "The best day of my life was when I heard those exact words; I love you dad hope you have a great birthday."