The Miami Dolphins fired head trainer Kevin O'Neill on Wednesday, less than a week after an investigative report revealed that O'Neill perhaps acted inappropriately amid the ongoing Jonathan Martin-Richie Incognito bullying scandal. The report stated that O'Neill stood idly by as racial remarks were made at an assistant trainer, sometimes even laughing alone.
Dolphins fire trainer Kevin O’Neill, named in Ted Wells report
Before the NFL has made any official rulings in the Jonathan Martin bullying case, Miami opted to separate themselves from at least one name mentioned in last week’s report.
Wells’ report also stated that O’Neill was less-than-cooperative during the investigation:
“O’Neill, the head trainer, not only overheard the racist insults, but also sometimes laughed along and never intervened. We did not cover this specific topic in our interview with O’Neill, which was cut short because O’Neill expressed hostility toward our investigation”
O'Neill had been with the Dolphins for 18 years, originally hired by Jimmy Johnson, whom he had worked under with the Dallas Cowboys.
This could just be the first of several import moves by Miami to clean up an alleged ongoing issue of hazing and bullying in the locker room, mostly surrounded around impending free agent guard Richie Incognito. Several more names could find themselves without a job in the coming weeks or months, but the Dolphins opted to act on at least one of them before the league did.
See More:
