Jonathan Martin ‘felt trapped’ in Dolphins’ locker room
For the first time since leaving the Miami Dolphins, NFL player Jonathan Martin is speaking out on why he left the team.
The 24-year-old tackle left in October amid allegations of bullying and harassment from fellow teammates. His case garnered national attention, placing “locker room” culture into the spotlight.
..NFL tackle Jonathan Martin says he felt “trapped” by bullying and decided it was best “just to remove myself from the situation.”
“I’m a man. I’m a grown man. I’ve been in locker rooms. There’s vulgar language in locker rooms,” Martin told Football Night in America’s Tony Dungy in the exclusive sitdown. “One instance doesn’t bother me,” Martin said of his former teammates’ behavior. “It’s the persistence of it. I wish I would have had more tools to solve my situation . . . but I didn’t.
“I felt trapped like I didn’t have a way to make it right. And it came down to the point where, you know, I thought it was best just to remove myself from the situation.”
Dolphins guard Richie Incognito, who was accused of leaving a voicemail with racial slurs and expletives on Martin’s cell phone, is considered to be the main orchestrator of the bullying.
Martin’s lawyer says his client endured harassment and bullying that went beyond the traditional locker room teasing. Incognito was suspended on Nov. 3 pending an NFL probe into the allegations. No word on whether Martin will return to the team.
In your opinion, did Martin handle the situation appropriately?
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