Brandon Marshall, accused of punching woman in 2012, won’t discuss trial while receiving humanitarian award
Wide receiver Brandon Marshall gives a press conference after an NFL training session at London Irish training ground in southwest London, Friday, Oct. 2, 2015. Credit: AP
Brandon Marshall arrived in his blue wide-pinstriped suit at the New York Athletic Club in Manhattan Tuesday night to receive a humanitarian award. The Jets’ Pro Bowl receiver was seen in the same suit during the day at a Manhattan courthouse after a woman alleged in a civil suit that he punched her in the face.
The optics were strange and coincidental. Marshall wouldn’t answer questions about Day 1 of the trial stemming from a 2012 incident. He spoke about his Ernie Accorsi Humanitarian Award from the New York City Chapter of the National Football Foundation and his Project 375 organization that fights stigmas over mental disorders. And he spoke about the Jets’ quarterback situation.
Ryan Fitzpatrick’s free agency has dragged on for four weeks. The Jets have reportedly offered about $7 million per. Asked if he thinks Fitzpatrick will be back, Marshall said, “He better be.”
Marshall tried for the inside scoop from Todd Bowles at this Elite Eleven Scholar-Athlete Award Banquet for New York City high school football players, although he didn’t mention Fitzpatrick by name.
“We’ll be OK,” Bowles told him.
Marshall had previous domestic allegations against him and had a reputation as a divisive player. But he repaired that with the Jets last season. The humanitarian work followed his 2011 diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder. He said the award “gives me fuel to continue to move forward because the work that we do is hard.”
Jets president Neil Glat said Marshall is “a great contributor and he gives back.”
The civil suit came after he wasn’t criminally charged in the incident outside of a Manhattan nightclub. He has denied the allegation. Christin Myles, now 28, testified she still has eye, back and neck pain from being hit. She’s seeking at least $75,000. The trial continues Wednesday.
