Duke football player Kimari Robinson apologizes after swatting away trainer during UNC game

The Duke cornerback said he apologized to the staff member after the game and acknowledged he should have controlled his emotions.

Duke football player Kimari Robinson publicly apologized Sunday after video showed him swatting away a training staff member’s arm as she attempted to check on injured teammate DaShawn Stone during the Blue Devils’ game against North Carolina.

Robinson, a redshirt junior cornerback and regular starter, said his concern for Stone did not excuse his treatment of the staff member. The incident went viral Saturday, drawing attention to his conduct on the field. The video showed Robinson standing over Stone, who was lying on his back while two members of Duke’s training staff attended to him. When a third staff member approached and tried to move Robinson aside to reach the injured player, he forcibly swatted her arm away.

In a statement posted on X Sunday night, Robinson said he had checked on the staff member and apologized to her after the game. As reported by ESPN, he added that he wanted to address the incident publicly as well. “I was completely wrong, and she did not deserve that,” Robinson wrote.

He explained that Stone was like family to him and that he feared his teammate might be seriously injured. However, Robinson acknowledged that his concern did not justify his behavior. “But being worried about him does not excuse how I treated her. I should have controlled my emotions, and I didn’t,” he wrote.

Robinson also expressed regret for the incident and its impact on the staff member and the football program. “I’m truly sorry for my actions and for letting her, myself and our program down. I have to be better than that,” he said. The incident occurred during Duke’s 24-20 loss to North Carolina on Saturday. The defeat left the Blue Devils with a 4-2 record, according to ESPN.

Robinson is a regular starter in Duke’s secondary, making the incident a prominent moment in the aftermath of the rivalry game. As of ESPN’s report published Oct. 19, the apology was the latest public development in the incident. The report did not detail any disciplinary action against Robinson.