Marshall: suspended Raiola ‘dirty player, worse human being’

SHARE Marshall: suspended Raiola ‘dirty player, worse human being’
RAIOLA.jpg

Lions center Dominic Raiola was suspended one game Monday.

The NFL suspended Lions center Dominic Raiola for one game Monday after he stomped on Bears defensive tackle Ego Ferguson’s ankle.

While Raiola, pending appeal, is slated to miss the de facto NFC North title game against the Packers, at least one of Ferguson’s teammates didn’t think that was enough.

“He should be banned form the NFL,” injured wide receiver Brandon Marshall said Monday on his ESPN 1000 radio show.

Marshall called Raiola “a dirty player, but a worse human being.”

Raiola said he did not intentionally step on Ferguson’s right ankle while the tackle was laying face-first on the ground in the third quarter Sunday. The Bears didn’t believe him; Monday, they sent film of the act to the NFL.

“I think we’ve got plenty of people in place that are going to evaluate that play from all angles, intent, all the different camera angles,” coach Marc Trestman said Monday before the ruling. “And they’ll make the right decision.”

Raiola has a dirty reputation, having been disciplined five times since 2010 and once earlier this season. The NFL said he violated Rule 2, Section 2, Article 12 (b), which prohibits “kicking or kneeling an opponent.”

Raiola apologized to Ferguson after the game, but the rookie said it didn’t discount what he did.

“If you watch the film, you see what happened,” Ferguson, who returned for the next possession, said Sunday.

Marshall’s issue with the center stems from a previous pregame incident in which he claimed Raiola mocked his borderline personality disorder.

“He’s like, ‘Go take your medicine. Go do this you freaking weirdo, you freaking crazy guy. Go take your medicine,’” Marshall said.

He called the one-game suspension “terrible.”

“If he breaks Ego’s ankle, and Ego never plays again, how much money does that guy miss out on?” Marshall said. “This is what he does for a living. He’s 22 or 23. He doesn’t even know his purpose yet. He doesn’t know what he’s going to do after football. He’s still figuring out what life is about.”

Email: pfinley@suntimes.com

Twitter: @patrickfinley


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