Jonathan Martin left the Miami Dolphins this week after being relentlessly teased and bullied by his teammates, who nicknamed him “Big Weirdo,” according to a report.
Martin, a former second-round pick out of Stanford, left the team and went AWOL in response to a cafeteria prank his teammates pulled on him Monday. As Martin sat down to join a group at a table, all the players got up. He slammed his tray down, left the facility, and hasn’t talked to his team since. He was listed as doubtful and then out for Thursday’s game against the Bengals. Martin is reportedly spending some time with his family.
Hearing that Martin left the team in response to a cafeteria prank didn’t make much sense on its own and led us to think that there was much more to the story. That’s why we’re not at all surprised to learn that Martin has been tormented by his teammates for a while.
FOX’s Alex Marvez has the goods on the story:
This wasn’t an abrupt action by Martin, who is Stanford-educated and the son of two lawyers who attended Harvard University. A source said Martin has tried dealing with a slew of indignities that crossed into personal and family insults, including being bestowed with the nickname of “Big Weirdo.”
Miami Herald reporter Armando Salguero also reported about the “Big Weirdo” nickname, which I can’t imagine would do wonders on a player’s self-esteem. Salguero also says the Dolphins are “concerned” about the past and future relationship between Martin and some of his teammates.
Marvez says the bullying of Martin went well beyond typical rookie hazing and that the team was aware of how he has been treated. The NFLPA reportedly is looking into the situation.
Helmet smack to Pro Football Talk
