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San Francisco 49ers safety Donte Whitner made an appearance on SiriusXM NFL Radio, and he had some really interesting comments about Aldon Smith's return, helping rookies get ready and the Jonathan Martin bullying situation.
He talked about how Smith came in and had a lot of early success at a young age, and that players sometimes have to learn how to deal with that success. He spoke to how he has worked to clean things up, and that he was still a work in progress.
That led to some more general discussion about rookies getting used to playing in the NFL. Whitner talked about how some players come into the league with a certain sense of entitlement, which makes it hard to talk with them. However, he contrasted that with Eric Reid's situation. Whitner discussed how Reid is having a great year, but remains humble thanks in part to being raised the right way.
Whitner also had a chance to address the Jonathan Martin bullying situation:
"We don't have those types of issues. I can honestly say this is one of the closest football teams, this is one of the closest group of men I've been around. We play and we have fun, but we know not to cross certain boundaries. We know not to cross respect boundaries, sexuality boundaries, disrespect people as individuals. We don't even do the whole rookie hazing thing. It came from Coach Harbaugh, said it from day one, we're not gonna do it. The players, we don't really care to do it. We care more about incorporating rookies into our system to help us win football games. And everything else that goes on, we don't really care for."
Here is the audio from his appearance:
The bullying issue is a serious topic, and it has gotten even more so with some reports that Miami Dolphins coaches asked Richie Incognito to "toughen up" Jonathan Martin. The first thing most people thought of when that news came out was the Code Red in A Few Good Men.
One amusing thing did come out of it. Adam Jacobi put together this string of tweets, re-doing the Colonel Jessup courtroom scene. This is pretty impressive:
Colonel Joseph R. Philbin, Commanding Officer, National Football League, Miami, Florida.
— Adam Jacobi (@Adam_Jacobi) November 6, 2013
Have you ever spent time on a football team, son? Ever served on an offensive line?
— Adam Jacobi (@Adam_Jacobi) November 6, 2013
Ever put your block in another lineman's hands, ask him to put his block in yours? We run plays, son. We run plays or people get sacked.
— Adam Jacobi (@Adam_Jacobi) November 6, 2013
Son, we live in a world that has offensive lines, and those lines have to be filled by 350-pound men with helmets. Who's gonna do it? You?
— Adam Jacobi (@Adam_Jacobi) November 6, 2013
I have a greater responsibility than you can possibly fathom. You weep for Martin, and you curse the Dolphins' o-line. You have that luxury.
— Adam Jacobi (@Adam_Jacobi) November 6, 2013
You have the luxury of not knowing what coaches know. That Martin's departure, while tragic, probably saved Ryan Tannehill's life.
— Adam Jacobi (@Adam_Jacobi) November 6, 2013
And Richie Incognito's existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, saves quarterbacks' lives.
— Adam Jacobi (@Adam_Jacobi) November 6, 2013
You don't want the truth because deep down in places you don't talk about on Twitter, you want him on that line. YOU NEED HIM ON THAT LINE.
— Adam Jacobi (@Adam_Jacobi) November 6, 2013
We use words like shiver, rip technique, smash. We use those words as a backbone of a life spent defending quarterbacks.
— Adam Jacobi (@Adam_Jacobi) November 6, 2013
You use them as a comment on Pro Football Talk.
— Adam Jacobi (@Adam_Jacobi) November 6, 2013
I have neither the TIME nor the INCLINATION to EXPLAIN MYSELF to a man who rises and sleeps under the fandom of the very team I coach...
— Adam Jacobi (@Adam_Jacobi) November 6, 2013
...and then bitches on Twitter about the way I provide it.
— Adam Jacobi (@Adam_Jacobi) November 6, 2013
I would rather you just said "thank you" and bought a season ticket.
— Adam Jacobi (@Adam_Jacobi) November 6, 2013
Otherwise, I suggest you pick up a helmet, and stand at left tackle.
— Adam Jacobi (@Adam_Jacobi) November 6, 2013
Either way, I don't give a DAMN what you football fans think you're entitled to.
— Adam Jacobi (@Adam_Jacobi) November 6, 2013
*Did you order the code red?* YOU'RE GOD DAMN RIGHT I DID! - Joe Philbin
— Adam Jacobi (@Adam_Jacobi) November 6, 2013