Leonard Fournette’s spat with fans in Thursday’s NFL loss to the Tennessee Titans in Nashville came after a fan yelled a racial slur at Fournette, Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Doug Marrone said on Monday.
A video released on Monday by tabloid news Web site TMZ showed Fournette yelling at a fan.
Marrone said that he asked Fournette about the exchange later on Monday, and that Fournette told him a fan used a racial slur.
Asked if there were witnesses to support Fournette’s claim, Marrone said: “I trust the player.”
Fournette declined to address the matter with reporters, citing his agent’s advice, but fellow running back T.J. Yeldon agreed with his teammate’s account.
“Did I hear it? Yeah,” Yeldon said. “All the running backs and people on the offensive side were hearing the exchange. They were heckling us the whole game, at him and all of us the whole game.”
In the first part of the video, Fournette is standing close to the front row of the seats and can be heard saying: “Listen, you’re too old for that. I will beat your ass.”
Two people then come over and pull him away from the group. Later in a different video clip, Fournette can be heard yelling from the team’s bench, while Yeldon looks on.
“Facts, you’re too old for that,” Fournette yells. “You’re too old for that. Chill out. I’m not worried about you. You want to come down here? I’ll whoop your ass.”
The Titans won the game 30-9 as Fournette finished with 36 yards on 14 carries. It was the running back’s first game back after serving a one-game suspension for leaving the bench and fighting with Buffalo Bills defensive end Shaq Lawson in week 12 of the season at Buffalo.
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