In his latest lawsuit stemming from his bounty suspension, New Orleans Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma claims that the team's former defensive assistant coach Mike Cerullo went to the NFL with information related to the investigation in 2011. Cerullo, Vilma claims, went to the NFL to settle a personal score against the team that once employed him.
Jonathan Vilma Lawsuit Claims Former Saints Assistant Gave Bounty Evidence Out Of Revenge
Cerullo was fired after missing time with the team during their Super Bowl run. He received a knock-off version of the Super Bowl ring which was came to be a physical embodiment of his resentment, according to Vilma’s complaint. Vilma’s suit goes so far as to claim that the former assistant coach “pledged revenge” on the team, and that came in the form of bogus claims to the NFL.
The lawsuit outs Cerullo as a major source of evidence in the league’s investigation. Commissioner Roger Goodell and the NFL have been reluctant to release evidence related to the bounty case out of fear of retribution against their sources. Eventually, the league did allow a group of reporters to see some of the evidence used in the case. Vilma’s suit could lead to the release of additional evidence collected by the league.
For more Saints coverage, check out Canal Street Chronicles. Follow the latest developments in the bounty case in this StoryStream.
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