The story of Miami Dolphins player Jonathan Martin is one all too familiar. A man who was allegedly harassed and bullied was pushed too far and snapped. Normally, these stories involve teenagers, but it says something that a professional football player is going through something that is such a big problem in this country. Most people think that football players do not have feelings and nothing ever bother them, but they are human and they do have breaking points. Regardless of Martin’s career choice, he is just a regular person with feelings.
Many teammates have reached out to Martin to send their support. “I want him to come back to work,” right tackle Tyson Clabo said this week. “He’s a talented young football player.” More importantly, no one should feel that way especially in a situation where everyone is supposed to be a band of brothers. They argue and fight, but at the end of the day, there is nothing but love for each other. Many sources are reporting that offensive lineman Richie Incognito was the main culprit in driving Martin away, but that does not appear to be the truth. Incognito spoke with Martin today and shared one of the text messages Martin sent him, “Yeah, I’m good man. It’s insane bro, but just know I don’t blame you guys at all. It’s just the culture around football, and the locker room got to me a little.”
It is good to hear that he is doing good and hopefully clearing his head. Being a professional athlete is one of the craziest lives one can live. While he is expected to not be on the football field for a significant period of time, hopefully he gets healthy and mentally stronger. Nobody deserves to be pushed to their breaking point. Hopefully this will help people realize that anyone can be bullied and it is a very serious issue.
