Former Chicago Bears general manager Jerry Angelo claims that NFL teams covered up "hundreds and hundreds" of domestic abuse incidents in order to keep their players from receiving league discipline, according to a report by USA Today Sports.
NFL teams covered up ‘hundreds’ of domestic abuse incidents, former Bears GM claims
Jerry Angelo said he intentionally hid incidents of domestic abuse to keep his players on the field.
"I made a mistake,'' admitted Angelo, who said the recent Ray Rice scandal has made him regret his actions. "I was human. I was part of it. I'm not proud of it.''
Angelo spent 21 years on the staff of three different teams before being hired as the GM in Chicago in 2001. He said he avoided turning over information on domestic violence incidents because it would have put his team at a competitive disadvantage.
“Our business is to win games,” said Angelo, who has been out of the league since the Bears fired him in 2012. “We’ve got to win games, and the commissioner’s job is to make sure the credibility of the National Football League is held in the highest esteem. But to start with that, you have to know who’s representing the shield.
“We got our priorities a little out of order,” he said.
Angelo said the graphic video of Ray Rice knocking his fiancee unconscious in a casino elevator pushed him to re-evaluate how he handled those incidents.
“We knew it was wrong,” Angelo said. “... For whatever reason, it just kind of got glossed over. I’m no psychiatrist, so I can’t really get into what that part of it is. I’m just telling you how I was. I’ve got to look at myself first. And I was part of that, but I didn’t stand alone.”
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and the league itself have dealt with heavy criticism since Rice was first suspended and then released from the Baltimore Ravens. Several other domestic violence incidents involving NFL players -- including 49ers defensive lineman Ray McDonald, Cardinals running back Jonathan Dwyer and Panthers defensive end Greg Hardy -- have occurred in recent months, bringing more negative attention to the league and increasing the calls for a change in culture.
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