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Is this airplane anti-masker a former Buffalo Bills linebacker?

People think the man booted from the plane is former NFL player Darryl Talley.

Photo of Michelle Brandabur

Michelle Brandabur

A man and two flight attendants on a plane.

In a TikTok with more than 3,000 likes, an anti-masker refuses to put on a mask on a Frontier Airlines flight while passengers shout at him to respect the rules of safe travel. In 2021, it’s a common story—except that TikTok users think this anti-masker is former Buffalo Bills linebacker Darryl Talley.

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The video begins with passengers yelling at a man standing in the aisle and telling him to put on a mask. The man raises his arms and begins shouting at the two flight attendants standing in front of him and the passengers on the plane.

“Let’s get this straight, this is their problem,” the man says, pointing to passengers who appear to all be wearing masks. 

Passengers yell in response. “No it’s your problem,” one person says. “When you bought your ticket, you agreed to wear the mask.”

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The unmasked passenger is then escorted off the plane, and viewers can hear the passengers cheering and thanking the flight crew for helping keep the plane safe. User @heyo.lexo shared the video on TikTok Sunday with the caption, “Him vs the whole plane.”

The man in the video is wearing a Buffalo Bills T-shirt, leading users to speculate that he could be 60-year-old Talley, who retired from the NFL in 1996.

“Why are they always bills fans??? We’re finally a good team and then the worst fans show up in the spotlight,” one user commented.

The Daily Dot reached out to the NFL, Frontier Airlines, and Talley’s booking agent.

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Users in the comments also argued the unmasked passenger should be put on a no-fly list for life. “I hope he likes Greyhound,” one user commented, implying the unmasked traveler should be barred from flying.

Other users said the behavior was unacceptable on multiple levels, especially because it puts the flight attendants at risk of contracting COVD.

“The no fly list needs to be shared with every airline because this is happening almost daily now. Flight crews need protection!!!” another user commented. 

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Anti-maskers are commonly caught on video in grocery stores and other public places. But users said they were especially cautious in the confinement of an airplane.

“Airplanes are the one place we should keep wearing masks long after Covid is gone,” one user wrote.


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