In a truly bizarre piece of news, the Huffington Post has announced that former Patriots receiver Donte Stallworth has been hired by the Post’s Washington D.C. Bureau to be a “fellow” covering national security.

Just based on his total lack of formal journalism experience, it’s a shocking move. What truly sends this story into the stratosphere of weird, however, is the fact that Stallworth is a 9/11 “truther.” In other words, he apparently holds to the belief that the terrorist attacks of September 11th, 2001, were not the actions of Osama bin Laden’s terrorist organization, and that a plane wasn’t what struck the Pentagon.

And also, Stallworth tweeted this in the same period: “Gggrrrrrrrrrrrrr @ ppl who actually believe a plane hit the pentagon on 9/11… hole woulda been ASTRONOMICALLY bigger, God bless lost lives.”

So, yes, it’s a peculiar hiring of the highest degree.

Back when he played football, Stallworth had a reasonably productive career. Taken in the first round of the 2002 draft by the New Orleans (13th overall), he never fully lived up to his electrifying potential. Eventually, Stallworth ended up on the 2007 Patriots, where he helped them set the seasonal record for points. He even returned to New England in 2012, playing in one game, and making one reception: A 63-yard touchdown catch.

Outside of football, he’s had a tumultuous time. In 2009, he served 24 days of a 30-day jail sentence for killing a pedestrian while driving drunk. And in 2013, Stallworth and his girlfriend were almost killed when their hot air balloon ride went terribly wrong:

 

Screenshot via YouTube