Derek Jeter Doesn't Allow Phones, Cameras Inside His Tampa Mansion

Derek Jeter might be the smartest, most media-savvy athlete of his generation. Think about it, he’s spent close to two decades playing in New York and never really said anything remotely controversial — or even innocuous — that the press could spin into a screaming back page headline despite their best efforts. Jeter’s even dated a steady string of models, actresses and singers without much incident.

It’s probably due in part to policies like this at his St. Peterburg, Fla. mansion as Page Six reports:

"Derek Jeter has a strict “no camera or phones” rule when it comes to his sprawling Florida mansion. We’re told the famously private Yankee has a basket in the foyer of his 30,875-square-foot, multimillion dollar Davis Island home, dubbed by locals “St. Jetersburg.” All guests are expected to plunk down their camera phones before entering his castle. “He points and says, ‘Phones go there,’ so no one can take pictures inside his house,” says a source."

Jeter should be applauded for such a simple, yet smart maneuver. When athletes are constantly making bad headlines for writing dumb tweets or posting something silly on Instagram, Jeter goes the other way and bans cameras. It’s a decidedly old school move that more athletes or celebrities should consider.

A professional athlete actively trying to keep his private life, you know, private and off social media? What a crazy notion.