Duke football player Kimari Robinson is facing calls for suspension after appearing to swat away the arm of a female athletic trainer who was trying to reach an injured team-mate.
The incident occurred during the third quarter of Duke’s 24-20 defeat by North Carolina on Saturday, after DaShawn Stone went down with an injury.
Robinson was near Stone when the trainer ran on to the field and attempted to move him aside. The Duke cornerback then swung his arm towards her, appearing to startle the trainer before she continued assisting the injured player.
Footage of the exchange spread online, prompting some college football fans to demand that Robinson be suspended or removed from the team. Others defended him, arguing that he had been distressed and concerned about Stone’s condition.
Former NFL quarterback Robert Griffin III criticised the incident on X, writing: “As a man, this just can’t happen. No excuses for it.”
Stone was eventually able to walk off the field under his own power.
Duke had not publicly announced any punishment for Robinson as of Sunday, and the player had not addressed the controversy.
