This story discusses suicide. If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
Shortly after Tennessee Titans head coach Robert Saleh came to the defense of a released player following a gun-related incident, the other person involved in the altercation did the same.
Offensive lineman JC Latham got into an altercation with Jordan Elliott, and afterward, Elliott retrieved a gun from his car in the parking lot.
Latham was mostly mum on the incident, saying it was “an unfortunate situation.”
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“Heat of the moment, s— happens,” Latham told reporters on Wednesday.
Despite the wild moment, Latham is hoping for the best for his now-former teammate.
“There ain’t never been no bad blood between us two,” Latham said. “We were here over the summer getting treatment. Before that, we hung out whenever we were in the same city together. We actually had never had an argument leading up to it.”
Saleh described the incident as a possible cry for help, a notion Latham appeared to agree with.
“I do think mental health is extremely important. That’s just one of those situations where you just pray for a guy like that, if you can, reach out to him, hope for the best for him. There’s no bad blood. It’s nothing personal on my end.”
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Saleh passionately defended the 28-year-old.
“I will stand on the table for Jordan’s character. Unfortunately, rules are rules with regards to guns on property. And sometimes it’s far greater than the knee-jerk reaction of kicking somebody when they’re down,” Saleh told reporters on Wednesday.
“My message to 31 other teams would be if you need a hell of a run stopping d-tackle that can help you on a playoff run, give me a call. I’ll tell you everything you need to know about him. He’s a good man. Had a terrible lapse in judgment that I recognized as a call for help more than a criminal act.”
“The reason why I think the NFL and the organization did an outstanding job is because this is a man who is a father, a great husband, he’s never committed a crime in his entire life, and he pulled a gun in the parking lot. And the first question that I think everyone forgets to ask is why would a great man, a great father, a man who shows up on time every day, works his a– off every day, contributes the way he’s supposed to contribute, is well-liked in the locker room, why did he go off the rails and grab a gun?” Saleh added.
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“And to me, those are small signs of a cry of help if you in terms of obviously there’s something greater happening. And I thought the team in the NFL did an outstanding job in regard to pausing and asking those questions and checking every single box with regards to getting him the help that he needs.”