DAVIE, Fla. — The Dolphins hazing controversy took a turn toward the legal system Thursday, as Jonathan Martin’s lawyer issued an explosive statement alleging crude sexual references and a “malicious physical attack” by an unnamed teammate.
Martin and Richie Incognito both prepared for likely courtroom or arbitration battles with a host of targets that could include the Dolphins, the NFL Players Association, the NFL and each other.
Martin made the biggest splash, with his parents hiring noted sports labor attorney David Cornwell — who also represents Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez in his suspension appeal — to advise them after the second-year offensive lineman abruptly left the team last week because of what he claimed was harassment from Incognito.
“Jonathan endured harassment that went far beyond the traditional locker room hazing,” Cornwall said in the statement. “For the entire season-and-a-half that he was with the Dolphins, he attempted to befriend the same teammates who subjected him to the abuse with the hope that doing so would end the harassment. This is a textbook reaction of victims of bullying. Despite these efforts, the taunting continued. Beyond the well-publicized voice mail with its racial epithet, Jonathan endured a malicious physical attack on him by a teammate, and daily vulgar comments such as the quote at the bottom. These facts are not in dispute.
“Eventually, Jonathan made a difficult choice. Despite his love for football, Jonathan left the Dolphins. Jonathan looks forward to getting back to playing football. In the meantime, he will cooperate fully with the NFL investigation.”
The statement concludes with a reference to Martin’s sister, a medical school student in Pittsburgh.
“Quote from teammate: ‘We are going to run train on your sister… She loves me. I am going to f–k her without a condom and c– in her c—.’ ”
Most Dolphins players were tight-lipped Thursday, but veteran offensive tackle Bryant McKinnie — acquired in a trade two weeks ago — indicated Martin would have a difficult time winning his Dolphins teammates over if reports are true he now wants to come back.
McKinnie also said the players’ defense of Incognito was understandable.
“Everybody knows Richie as a person, his personality, and how he was in the locker room,” McKinnie said. “For him to be portrayed [as racist and a bully], it’s kind of difficult for the guys to see that in the locker room because they actually know him.”
Incognito also hired attorneys Thursday to contest the suspension without pay for conduct detrimental to the team the Dolphins handed out last Sunday after being given a racist, vulgar and threatening voicemail Incognito had left for Martin in April.
Incognito will have to fight the suspension through the NFL’s arbitration system, which means the NFLPA will be involved and bound by its primary role to defend him.
That union involvement, combined with the NFLPA’s announcement Wednesday it wants the agents for both players to meet in hopes of cooling the situation, reportedly contributed to the Martin family hiring Cornwell — a fierce critic and nemesis of NFLPA chief DeMaurice Smith since Smith beat him out for the job in 2009.
If Martin wants to return to football, as the statement claims, it doesn’t sound as if he is welcome to come back to the Dolphins’ locker room.
Miami players on Wednesday loudly defended Incognito while being equally critical of Martin, who they said was proud of the voicemail and laughing about it after Incognito left it.
“If there was a problem, Jonathan Martin needed to show it,” offensive tackle Tyson Clabo said. “[Martin and Incognito] did a lot of stuff together, so if [Martin] had a problem with the way that guy was treating him, he had a funny way of showing it.
“If you have a problem with somebody, a legitimate problem, you should say, ‘Hey, I have a problem’ and stand up and be a man. There is no code of silence. I don’t think that what happened was necessary. I don’t know why he’s doing this, and the only person that knows why is Jonathan Martin.”
The Dolphins, coach Joe Philbin and general manager Jeff Ireland have refused comment on all allegations surrounding the controversy, citing the league’s investigation and the distraction the drama is posing to their trip to Tampa to face the winless Buccaneers on Monday night.