After months of damaging reports following the death of player Jordan McNair, the University of Maryland's football team is at a breaking point.
On Tuesday, after head coach DJ Durkin was welcomed back to practice and before he was subsequently fired, one player allegedly confronted another about ratting out his coach. A punch from starting punter Wade Lees connected with the face of backup punter Matthew Barber, as teammates intervened, on behalf of Lees, to hold Barber's arms back.
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When all was said and done, Barber was covered in blood and required stitches on premises. He was later treated for a separated shoulder, suffered during the attack.
"My jersey was bloody," Barber told the Baltimore Sun. "I had blood all over my hands."
It would seem that an awful situation in College Park is getting worse. Last week, in a report that has been disputed, Maryland absolved Durkin of encouraging a "toxic culture" on the team. Now, with Durkin back in the building for Tuesday's practice, perhaps players were emboldened enough to begin attacking each other.
"This is an incredibly difficult time for our football student-athletes," recently reinstated Athletic Director Damon Evans said. "However, we take any matters involving physical altercations extremely seriously. We are talking with the players involved and will take appropriate actions based on the facts."
Several players dispute the narrative that the attacks had anything to do with Durkin.
"The reports about the altercation between me and Matt Barber are far from the truth," Lees posted on social media. "There are many inaccuracies with the way he portrays that day. Additionally, the altercation had nothing to do with coach Durkin's reinstatement. I have never tried to force my opinions on someone else. I have over 100 teammates that can back me on that."
Defensive tackle Oseh Saine agreed.
"Kid is lying out of his mouth," Saine tweeted. "This altercation had nothing to do with the coach Durkin situation. Had everything to do with him picking on a younger players. There were many witnesses and Wade has the total support of everyone here."
Whether or not that last part is true will be an important part of yet another Maryland football investigation.
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