Duke cornerback Kimari Robinson has come under fire online following a tense moment with a female athletic trainer during Saturday’s 24-20 defeat against Bill Belichick’s North Carolina Tar Heels.
Kimari Robinson swipes away female trainer
The exchange took place in the third quarter, when medical staff entered the field to treat Duke defensive back DaShawn Stone. Robinson had moved toward his teammate as Stone lay on the ground, but a trainer attempting to reach the injured player appeared to gesture for Robinson to step back.
The Duke cornerback then appeared to brush the trainer’s arm away, prompting a visible reaction from the staffer before she turned her attention back to Stone. The injured player later managed to walk off the field without assistance after receiving treatment.
Fans push Duke to suspend Robinson
The footage quickly gained traction online, with viewers calling out Robinson for his reaction toward the trainer as she attempted to carry out her duties and assist an injured player.
Many fans called on Duke to take strict disciplinary action against Robinson, with some urging the team to suspend the cornerback over the incident.
A user wrote, “With Kimari Robinson’s reaction to the athletic trainer, @DukeFOOTBALL must kick him off the team. Zero respect for the medical staff.”
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Another fan condemned Robinson’s actions, stressing that such behavior was unacceptable and writing, “As a man, this just can’t happen… No excuses for it.”
Fans reject arguments defending Robinson
While many viewers criticized Robinson, some defended the Duke cornerback, arguing that the female athletic trainer had first pushed him away from his injured teammate. One viewer shared that perspective and tweeted, “It appears SHE puts her hands on HIM first.”
However, others quickly pushed back against those arguments. One fan expressed frustration with those defending Robinson, commenting, “The amount of stupid responses and dumb opinions being used to defend Kimari Robinson, makes me literally ill. Medical staff, in all situations… ABSOLUTELY HAVE THE RIGHT, AND NECESSITY (obviously) TO MOVE YOU FROM THE AREA! ”
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Another viewer also criticized those backing the Duke player, writing, “Anyone who defending the Duke player Kimari Robinson for putting his hands on a female athletic trainer is a coward. ”
As of this writing, Duke has not issued an official statement or announced any disciplinary action against Robinson.
