The Tennessee Titans player who was involved in the argument with Jordan Elliott that prompted him to go and fetch a gun from his car has spoken out about the incident for the first time.
Elliott was cut by the Titans on Tuesday after attempting to confront teammate JC Latham with a gun after the bust up on the practice field last week.
That anger then carried over to the locker room and Elliott was later seen storming off to the players’ parking garage next to the facility to retrieve the firearm from his vehicle.
The incident was eventually diffused by another Titans player, John Franklin-Myers, who followed Elliott and managed to get him to put the firearm away.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter revealed on Thursday morning that the NFL is investigating the incident and if a violation is found while Elliott is not on a team, he may have to serve a suspension as a free agent.
But, addressing the incident on Wednesday, Latham described it as ‘an unfortunate situation’ and suggested Elliott is dealing with mental health problems.
JC Latham was involved in the argument with Jordan Elliott that saw the Titans cut the latter
Elliott was axed by the Titans on Tuesday for having a firearm at the team’s facility in Nashville
‘It was heat of the moment, and s*** happens,’ Latham told reporters.
‘I don’t really have too much to say about it…. There ain’t never been no bad blood between us two.
‘We were here on the summer getting treatment. Before that, we hung out whenever we were in the same city together. We actually had never had an argument leading up to it.
‘So I actually think mental health is extremely important, and that’s just one of those situations where you just pray for a guy like that.’
Latham added that he was grateful to Franklin-Myers for his intervention.
‘I told him I appreciate it,’ Latham added.
‘I was still on the field, apparently,… so I just told him how much I appreciate him for that.’
Tennessee Titans head coach Robert Saleh staunchly defended Elliott’s character in a press conference on Wednesday.
Addressing the incident, Saleh said he thought it was a ‘small sign of a cry for help’ and also referenced cases of NFL players killing themselves in recent years. The former New York Jets coach said he wants Elliott to ‘get all the help he needs.’
Titans head coach Robert Saleh promised to vouch for Elliott to rival NFL teams in the future
Elliott attempted to retrieve a firearm from his vehicle after an argument with a teammate
But he also vouched for Elliott, insisted the incident was out of character and boldly promised other NFL teams that his former player would be a brilliant new signing.
‘I’m not saying that’s where he was, but these kids go through a lot. I will stand on the table for Jordan’s character,’ Saleh said.
‘Unfortunately, rules are rules regarding guns on property and sometimes it’s far greater than the knee-jerk reaction of kicking somebody when they’re down.
‘My message to 31 other teams would be if you need a helluva runstopping D-tackle that can help you on a playoff run, give me a call. I’ll tell you everything you need to know about him.
‘He’s a good man. Had a terrible lapse in judgment that I recognize as a call for help more than a criminal act…. [Elliott] deserves another chance. Rules are rules, it can’t be here.’
