Donald Driver Weighs In: Trans Athletes Should Compete by Birth Sex, Not Gender Identity

Donald Driver, former Green Bay Packers wide receiver and Super Bowl champion, isn’t shy about sharing his viewpoint on one of sports’ most heated debates: whether transgender athletes should compete in girls’ and women’s sports.

Speaking about coaching his own children, Driver made his position clear. "I think, you know, God made you how he made you," he stated. "If he made you a male, then you compete in male sports. He made you a female, you compete in female sports." He emphasized the need for transparency and open-mindedness but ultimately stood by the idea that athletes should compete according to their sex assigned at birth, not gender identity.

Driver acknowledged there are exceptions in athletic performance—sometimes girls outrun boys, sometimes boys are stronger—but insisted the division should remain based on biological sex. As a father to both sons and daughters, he underscored the importance of being honest and direct about the issue, even while encouraging open dialogue.

This debate has been a political powder keg recently. President Donald Trump made it a major talking point in his 2024 campaign and didn't hesitate to take action—signing an executive order to prohibit transgender athletes from participating in girls’ and women’s sports. That move sparked a flurry of legal battles between the White House and various states.

The public seems largely aligned with Driver’s view. A January survey by the New York Times and Ipsos revealed that 79% of Americans don’t think biological males who identify as women should compete in women’s sports. Even among Democrats, 67% agreed with that sentiment, compared to a whopping 94% of Republicans.

With numbers like that, the debate isn’t dying down anytime soon. Sports, politics, and personal beliefs are colliding on this field—and, regardless of which side you’re on, it’s clear that the conversation is far from over.