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Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Terrell Owens once famously defended his friend, Tony Romo, in an emotional post-game outburst following a playoff loss to the New York Giants.
The moment, which went viral and has etched itself into permanent meme status, was highlighted by a teary-eyed Owens repeating, “that’s my quarterback!”
Although Giants cornerback Corey Ballentine stopped short of Owens theatrics flowing practice on Tuesday, he did share similar sentiments about his friend, DeAndre Baker, who is currently waist-deep in serious legal trouble.
“That’s my friend and I wish him the best,” Ballentine told reporters. “I don’t know what he had going on in his life and I’m not going to speak on it too much. I definitely wish him the best. I wouldn’t wish that on anyone.”
Ballentine was the victim of a shooting mere hours after being selected by the Giants in the 2019 NFL Draft. He was hospitalized and his close personal friend, Dwane Simmons, was killed.
That certainly adds a different dimension to his seeming defense of Baker, who was charged with four counts of armed robbery stemming from an incident in May. But it’s clear Ballentine refuses to pass judgement.
“You never know what people are going through. Like I said, I’m not going to speak on it too much. I hope he gets through whatever he is going through,” Ballentine added.
If convicted, Baker faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison up to life.
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