Suspended Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon took issue with some comments teammate and veteran strong safety Donte Whitner made about him Monday night during the Cleveland Auto Show at the I-X Center in Cleveland.
Gordon made his feelings known on Twitter, and Whitner used the medium to explain his intent.
The following Browns notebook item in Tuesday's Beacon Journal outlined Whitner's comments:
He can succeed
Whitner revealed he once ran into suspended wide receiver Josh Gordon and observed the former All Pro had ballooned to about 30 pounds more than his playing weight. But Whitner has recently watched Gordon whip himself back into shape.
Gordon, 24, has applied for reinstatement into the NFL and is awaiting a decision from NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.
“I do know Josh. I understand he’s a young guy,” Whitner said. “He’s made a few mistakes in his career, and when you hit rock bottom the way he did, there’s nowhere else to go but up. Over the last couple months, just watching him, watching Instagram and the hard work that he put in, the transformation that he made with his body. I remember seeing him at the [Metropolitan at the] 9 downtown and him being like 255 pounds, and then going on down to four or five or sixth months later, shedding 20, 25, 30 pounds and looking like he did before the suspension started.
“I understand that he’s very dedicated. I understand that he can go out there and do anything he wants to do on the football field. He’s that athletically gifted. So when he catches up with the mental aspect of the game and the mental aspect of being in the NFL and the mental aspect of life, then he’ll be an All Pro again. He’s still young enough to do that. So from what I’ve seen, he’s ready to do it. Hopefully he is.”
Here is the exchange on Twitter between Gordon and Whitner:
@JOSH_GORDONXII sorry lol 245 lb they get my drift though. You've been working 🙉🙉
— DonteHitner (@DonteWhitner) March 1, 2016
@JOSH_GORDONXII can't wait to see you back out there, tearing up the league...
— DonteHitner (@DonteWhitner) March 1, 2016
C'mon now, my story is crazy enough.. No need for fabrication.. Smh.. https://t.co/HTVE7G8ZaQ
— Flash Gordon (@JOSH_GORDONXII) March 1, 2016
Hopefully my comments about @JOSH_GORDONXII wasn't taken out of context. Was only trying to get across that he's been working really hard.
— DonteHitner (@DonteWhitner) March 1, 2016