Maryland player says he was assaulted by teammate for speaking out against former coach DJ Durkin
Published:
Though Maryland attempted to finally end the DJ Durkin saga by firing him Wednesday, the controversy appears to be far from over.
Matthew Barber, a junior backup punter for the Terrapins, told The Baltimore Sun that he was attacked after Tuesday’s practice by a teammate who supported their former coach. The Baltimore Sun’s report did not name the player accused of assaulting Barber, who spoke with investigators seeking to determine if Durkin oversaw a “toxic culture” at Maryland after a player died following a team workout in May.
On Tuesday, the investigative committee announced it had cleared Durkin of the worst allegations, and Maryland administrators opted to reinstate him as coach. The school backtracked on its decision and fired Durkin on Wednesday in the face of public backlash, though his return to practice during his brief reinstatement sparked the incident involving Barber.
The following is an excerpt from The Baltimore Sun’s report:
Barber, of Mechanicsburg, Pa., said word had gotten around on the team that he is a “whistle-blower” who talked to investigators about problems on the team. When Durkin returned to practice Tuesday to watch the team practice, his supporters on the team felt emboldened and began taunting Barber, he said. Some mocked and insulted him, while others threw footballs at him, Barber said.
Toward the end of the practice, another player attacked Barber, attempting to punch him in the face, Barber said. While the two teammates were fighting, others tried to intervene and grabbed Barber’s arms behind his back, he said. That allowed the other player to punch Barber repeatedly in the face, leaving him with a black eye, needing multiple stitches on his forehead and a dislocated shoulder, Barber said.
“My jersey was bloody,” Barber says. “I had blood all over my hands.”
Marcus covers SEC football for Saturday Down South.
