Marshal Yanda Denies Spitting on Vontaze Burfict: ‘That’s Not the Player I Am’

Ron Schwane/Associated Press

In a Wednesday talk with reporters, Baltimore Ravens offensive guard Marshal Yanda emphatically denied spitting on Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict in his team’s 24-21 win on Sunday. 

Jameson Hensley of ESPN provided a recap of the issue at hand:

“The sequence in question occurred in the fourth quarter after Burfict tackled Baltimore running back Alex Collins and a minor scuffle ensued involving several players. Video from the CBS broadcast of the game shows spit coming from Yanda’s mouth while Burfict was on the ground after the play, and Burfict had no apparent reaction.”

Yanda made the following comment on Wednesday, per Hensley:

“The video, some people are taking it crazy, but all I was doing was wiping the spit off my helmet, away from the ground. I swiped at it to make sure that it didn’t land on anybody. I don’t know if you guys know, during the course of a game, I’m like a heavy spitter. The adrenaline is fired up, and I’m spitting all the time—sidelines, on the field, but not on anyone ever. … That would never be anything that would ever even be fathomed in my mind. That’s not the player I am.“

This article will be updated to provide more information soon.

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