Arizona Cardinals’ Karlos Dansby says Jonathan Martin handled bullying the right way
Nov 5, 2013, 10:42 PM | Updated: 10:43 pm
The football world is still reacting to the seemingly unbelievable stories of bullying within the Miami Dolphins’ locker room.
Offensive tackle Jonathan Martin left the team last week and the Dolphins have indefinitely suspended veteran guard Richie Incognito as the league looks into allegations that include racial slurs and threats of violence against the second-year player.
Arizona Cardinals linebacker Karlos Dansby has an interesting perspective, as he spent the last three seasons in Miami before re-signing with his original team in the offseason.
While many in the NFL community are wondering why Martin didn’t stand up for himself and “handle the situation like a man,” Dansby says the Stanford grad did exactly the right thing.
“It could have went in entirely the wrong way if Jonathan handled it himself,” Dansby told Burns and Gambo Tuesday on Arizona Sports 620. “Some guys, the stuff that was said to him, he might try to kill you, man.”
The league is looking into a voicemail left by Incognito to Martin that ended with, “f— you, you’re still a rookie. I’ll kill you.”
Dansby believes a confrontation would have turned an ugly situation even uglier.
“He didn’t want to go there, he didn’t want to throw his future and his career away, so that’s the best way he can do it,” Dansby said. “If he would have confronted Richie about it, it probably would have went there.”
Dansby, who was a teammate of Incognito’s from 2010 to 2012 and Martin’s last year, says he doesn’t know if the eight-year veteran will ever play in the league again.
“I don’t know if guys would embrace that,” he said. “That crossed the line on so many different levels. I don’t know if guys are going to embrace it.”
Asked specifically if he could accept Incognito as a teammate with the Cardinals, Dansby said it would be difficult.
“That’s out of my control, I’d never be able to look at him the same.”
