Jets’ Darron Lee says he was attacked in Ohio bar
Linebacker and first-round draft pick Darron Lee works out during Jets rookie minicamp at the team's training facility on Saturday, May 7, 2016 in Florham Park, N.J. Credit: Steve Hockstein
Jets linebacker Darron Lee said he was jumped while at a bar in his home state of Ohio over the weekend.
In a Periscope video that has since been deleted, a bruise under Lee’s right eye was visible as the 2016 first-round pick recalled an unknown man hitting him as he was leaving the bar Saturday night.
“Midway from the exit of the bar, I get hit and tackled, simultaneously,” Lee said in the video, according to NJ.com. “Have no idea who it was. I wasn’t in an argument with anybody. I hadn’t said a word to anybody. Just leaving the bar to go home, and I get punched and tackled. I have no idea by whom. To this very moment I have no idea by whom. Don’t care.”
Lee, 22, was not seriously hurt during the assault. He also said he didn’t fight back. Instead, he tried to reason with his attacker to no avail. He repeatedly told the man, “I didn’t hit you, I didn’t hit you,” before bouncers stepped in.
In a now-deleted tweet, Lee thanked local police officers for intervening and “sparing a young man’s life tonight.”
Lee grew up in the Columbus area and played at Ohio State before being drafted by the Jets last April.
Columbus police told NJ.com that they had no official report of the incident, but said they were aware of Lee’s tweets.
The Jets declined to comment on the incident.
Lee had 73 tackles and one sack in 13 games as a rookie for the Jets.
