BY NICK ST. DENIS
Jonathan Martin's departure from the Miami Dolphins in October due to alleged acts of bullying was one of the biggest (off-field) stories in the NFL this past season.
And now that the regular season is a month behind us and the Super Bowl is less than a week away, the story is again growing legs.
The second-year offensive tackle recently sat down with former NFL head coach Tony Dungy, now of NBC Sports, to talk about his decision to leave the team in the midst of the controversy. A portion of the interview aired on NBC Tuesday.
"I’m a grown man," Martin told Dungy, via ProFootballTalk.com. “I’ve been in locker rooms. There’s vulgar languages in locker rooms. One instance doesn’t bother me. It’s the persistence of it.
"I wish I would have had more tools to solve my situation. I felt trapped, like I didn’t have a way to make it right. It came down to a point where I thought it was best just to remove myself from the situation."
Martin's teammate and fellow offensive lineman Richie Incognito was suspended by Miami a week after Martin left, with the Dolphins citing "conduct detrimental to the team," and that was the last of Incognito's (and Martin's) run in Miami.
The NFL has been investigating the incident, or incidents, and will release a report after the Super Bowl. "I have an idea what will be in it," Dolphins owner Stephen Ross said Tuesday, via The Miami Herald.
The NBC interview with Martin will be shown in full Wednesday on Pro Football Talk (NBCSN) at 6:30 p.m.
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