Mike McCarthy calls out Albert Huggins after Cowboys DT shoved Rams staffer to ground
Dallas Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy admonished defensive tackle Albert Huggins one day after Huggins was removed from a joint practice session with the Los Angeles Rams, after he shoved a Rams staffer to the ground.
"Obviously, his behavior is unacceptable," McCarthy said Thursday, according to ESPN.com. "It's something that's been addressed. He has apologized and I'm comfortable with his apology. I was obviously on the offensive side of the field when it happened. I had a chance to talk to (Cowboys defensive coordinator) Mike Zimmer and (Rams coach) Sean McVay.
"When it did happen, we removed him from practice. Frankly, when I saw the video a few hours later after practice, I called Sean again. His response to me was: 'You'd have been proud the way your coaches reacted.' I just want to make sure that behavior is unaccepted. Emotional discipline in that moment — that's not what we're about. And (Huggins) clearly understands that."
The incident came during Wednesday's practice, when the Dallas defensive line was facing the Los Angeles offensive line in drills. During a clip, which was shared on social media, Huggins sheds a Rams lineman during a simulated pass rushing drill. As Huggins makes his way down the field, a Rams staffer tries to move out of the way before Huggins shoves him to the ground with two hands.
Rams not happy about Cowboys DT Albert Huggins knocking down a member of their staff pic.twitter.com/QxAWpKEt1I
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) August 14, 2024
Huggins then trots away, as Rams players start to chase him. When Huggins returns to the Dallas huddle, Cowboys coaches reprimand Huggins as he is escorted away from the drill.
Huggins, 27, is in his fifth season in the NFL, each of which have been with a different team. He last played for the Falcons last season, appearing in 13 games and making five starts; he collected 22 tackles, two quarterback hits and one fumble recovery.
The Cowboys signed Huggins, who is competing to earn a backup spot on the interior of the defensive line, on Aug. 6.
The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Mike McCarthy rips Albert Huggins after Cowboys-Rams practice incident