Jermaine Whitehead apologizes on Instagram for outburst that led to Browns cutting him
Jermaine Whitehead posted an apology on Instagram on Tuesday, a day after he was waived by the Cleveland Browns for a series of profane tweets sent in the immediate aftermath of the team’s loss to the Denver Broncos.
‘Totally out of character’
On his verified account, @j2whitehead, the defensive back wrote:
“I would like to take this opportunity to apologize for my actions following our game with Denver. That was totally out of character for me. I do not justify my actions, but was extremely frustrated with the way I had played and our team losing because of it. I was playing with a broken hand, but that is no excuse for my actions, and I am deeply regretful.
I want to personally apologize to anyone who I offended, especially those who I was responsive to on Twitter. My choice of words did not reflect who I am, but only what I was feeling. Also, my sincerest apologies to my teammates, coaches, the Browns organization and most of all, the fans and kids that motivate me to even pursue this dream.
Again I am deeply sorry for my unacceptable behavior, and I wish the Browns the best of luck in the future.
I love you!”
Predictably, there were a fair number of comments from those saying they weren’t buying Whitehead’s apology, or that it was written by his agent as damage control, or worse. There were some showing support and saying they were praying for the onetime undrafted rookie.
Threats of violence follow criticism
Whitehead was set off by a series of tweets. Dustin Fox, an ESPN college football analyst and Cleveland-area radio personality tweeted, “Whiteheads effort tackling today is a joke.”
Fox did not tag Whitehead in the comment, meaning the 26-year-old, who had started all eight of the Browns’ games this season, had to search his name or someone else tagged him to ensure he’d see.
Warning: Graphic language below.
things seem fine pic.twitter.com/9yhuEaUP4o
— Matt Kirchner (@MKirchner12) November 4, 2019
Fox wasn’t the only person Whitehead targeted with threats of violence and used a slur toward. Within minutes, Twitter suspended his account and on Sunday night the Browns had released a statement condemning his tweets.
The Athletic reported that Whitehead had sent the missives while still in his game uniform.
On Monday morning, he was waived.
All players released post-trade deadline, which was a week ago, are subject to waivers, but it would be a surprise if another team claimed Whitehead.
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