Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Doug Baldwin has admitted that he has been disheartened at some of the recent comments directed at Jonathan Martin.
Martin this week quit the Miami Dolphins after allegations that offensive lineman Richie Incognito bullied him and made him uncomfortable, with Incognito himself being suspended from the team.
Many Dolphins players have leapt to the defence of Incognito, with Tyson Clabo even suggesting that Martin needs to 'stand up and be a man'.
However, that is not a view Martin's former college teammate Baldwin agrees with.
He is quoted in the Miami Herald as saying: "I would say that I'm extremely disappointed in the reaction that I think has been generated from the entire event.
"What options did Jonathan Martin have? He could either fight Richie Incognito. He could go and tell on the players, which we know in the football locker room doesn't go over well. Or he could remove himself from the situation and let the proper channels take care of itself.
"I think he made the intelligent, smart choice without putting himself or Richie's physical abilities in danger. I know Jonathan Martin; he is a great guy, a great friend of mine. So for this situation to be as serious as it has become, it has to be something serious that is going on."
Baldwin and Martin played together for a year at Stanford before Baldwin was signed by the Seahawks as an undrafted free agent in 2011.
Joe McPhee
