Dolphins' Incognito: 'I'm Not a Racist'

Gives 1st interview since scandal erupted, says texts taken out of context
By Polly Davis Doig,  Newser Staff
Posted Nov 10, 2013 1:16 PM CST
Dolphins' Incognito: 'I'm Not a Racist'
In this Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2013 image from WSVN-TV, Miami Dolphin Richie Incognito is interviewed near his home.   (AP Photo/WSVN-TV)

Miami Dolphin Richie Incognito spoke out publicly today for the first time since allegations of racism and harassment against teammate Jonathan Martin surfaced, telling Fox Sports that texts (in which Incognito called Martin the N-word and threatened to kill him) were taken out of context. Martin, he said, once sent him a text that read, "I will murder your whole... family," a threat he never took seriously because "I knew it was coming from a brother. People don’t know how Jon and I communicate with each other."

"All this stuff coming out, it speaks to the culture of our locker room, it speaks to culture of our closeness, it speaks to the culture of our brotherhood," Incognito told Jay Glazer. "The racism, the bad words, that's what I regret most, but that's a product of the environment. That's something that we use all the time." He says he's "embarrassed" by the voicemail but "I’m not a racist. To judge me by that one word is wrong. In no way shape or form is it acceptable for me to use that word, even if it’s in a voicemail." (More Richie Incognito stories.)

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