Jonathan Martin is excited to exit the Miami Dolphins and gets another shot with the San Francisco 49ers.
According to ESPN, Jonathan Martin was traded by the Miami Dolphins to the San Francisco 49ers, and is happy to be reunited with the coach, Jim Harbaugh, who coached him at Stanford previously. He officially became a member of the 49ers after he passed his physical last week Thursday.
The harassment scandal occurred when Martin was harmfully bullied by his old offensive line mate, Richard Incognito. The investigation, which is led by Ted Wells, concluded that Incognito and two other offensive linemen became involved in bullying Martin, another offensive lineman, and an assistant trainer. Martin left the Dolphins after the organization created a pessimistic culture around him.
The Wells report about Incognito’s harassment of Martin can be found at SB Nation. This report provided instances of Incognito’s inappropriate behavior and languages that Martin dealt with.
The major criticism Martin had ever received from the critics was that he couldn’t stand himself up to the harassment matters. A former athlete and a sports blogger questioned his characters and mental toughness, suggesting that the NFL might not be a right career for him and Martin would never play in the NFL again.
A former player titled “Is Dolphins’ Jonthan Martin in the Wrong Career?” in the Denver Post:
“Jonathan Martin may be too quiet, too unwilling to speak up for himself and too emotionally fragile to handle the vicissitudes of the NFL. It was bad enough when Incognito was bullying him, but now that a national scandal has erupted, the situation is far worse for Martin. He may feel humiliated to ever play in the NFL.”
Jake Elman wrote “Will Jonathan Martin Ever Play Again?” on his sports blog:
“Jonathan Martin, despite seeming to be the victim of bullying, death threats, and racism, will not play again in the National Football League. Martin has entered a list of players who teams won’t want on their roster simply by leaving the Dolphins, exposing things that are supposed to stay in the locker room, and hiring a lawyer to investigate allegations of workplace abuse…Martin, has one of the worst qualities you want from a player… he’s become a distraction.”
What about an NFL workplace and safe environment? The working environment in the NFL can affect players’ sense of health and well-being. Martin perceived that hazing doesn’t create relationship among teammates better. Martin said two months ago that he removed himself from the (hazing) situation for his own health. The big misconception was that the critics publicly claimed the NFL was not a right career for him or Martin would not play in the NFL over the hazing issue.
According to the Ted Wells report, Harbaugh has known Martin from his Stanford day. He had never doubt Martin’s perseverance, work ethic, and dedication to the game. He indicated that Martin has a mental and physical toughness when it comes to playing the game of football. He believes that Martin can be a successful NFL player. After the 49ers acquired him, Harbaugh seems excited to be working with him once again.
To start a new life with the 49ers, a Stanford product is finally able to move on because he is in a better place right now. He receives a warm welcome from his new teammates and support from his former Stanford teammates by ensuring that Martin is focused on the right track. He is looking forward to working with his coach and new teammates in the coming season of 2014, and concentrating on his football career from now on. Never mind to what the critics were saying regarding his situation (in Miami) in the past.
The Incognito-Martin situation in Miami was a national wake-up call for the NFL. During the off-season process, the NFL seems to be working on creating a new policy, focusing on the hazing rules and enhancing the positive and safe environment for the NFL employees, including coaches, players, and trainers.
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