This past weekend, a former Clemson defensive back was waived by an NFL team following a reported verbal altercation at practice. On Saturday, the Minnesota Vikings waived cornerback Bashaud Breeland, who played for the Tigers from 2010-13 and was …
This past weekend, a former Clemson defensive back was waived by an NFL team following a reported verbal altercation at practice.
On Saturday, the Minnesota Vikings waived cornerback Bashaud Breeland, who played for the Tigers from 2010-13 and was an All-ACC selection in 2013.
NFL Network reported that Breeland had a verbal altercation with coaches and teammates at practice on Saturday, and NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported that the Vikings viewed the situation as “too much to come back from.”
Breeland gave his side of the story to Josina Anderson of USA Today Sports+ during an exclusive interview Saturday, saying the events that resulted in him getting waived were “blown out of proportion.”
Per Breeland, the incidents began with a verbal exchange with an unnamed coach during a meeting prior to practice.
“I feel like what happened in the meeting room with the coach was not serious enough to be an issue on the practice field,” Breeland told USA Today Sports+.
While Pelissero reported that Breeland “took off his cleats and got into it with multiple teammates who were trying to calm the situation,” Breeland gave a different version of the events that transpired, telling Anderson he took the field and intended to practice before being pulled off the field.
Breeland said he then sat down for a while, removed his cleats and put his workout shoes on while staying attentive to practice and listening to the coach’s corrections.
According to Breeland, via Anderson’s story, this is what went down after that:
Later, while switching fields, he said a player came up to him and said, “What’s up Breezy?” Breeland said he nodded his head in response and the player asked, “That’s all I get?”
“I was like, ‘Bro’ I’m not trying to be a distraction. Just let me get on the move. I’m good,'” Breeland said. “Then, it escalated out of nowhere.”
The player charged, “like he wanted to fight,” Breeland said. Others intervened. Breeland declined to share the names of those involved.
“The whole time I had my hands in my hoodie,” he said. “You can see my demeanor was like, ‘I’m not on that, but if you want to be on that we can be on that.’
“That’s when the general manager stepped in on the field. I feel like (Vikings head coach Mike) Zimmer came over there, saw confusion and just kicked me out. I feel like Zimmer was already feeling some kind of way because I wasn’t practicing. I said, ‘If I’m not being cut or released I shouldn’t have to leave practice.’”
Breeland said he spoke after the practice with Vikings general manager Rick Spielman, a “player personnel staff member” and two of the players involved to talk about what happened, and then Spielman later called Breeland to tell him he would not travel for Monday’s game against the Chicago Bears. Breeland’s agent later told him he was being cut.
This was Breeland’s first season with the Vikings after signing a one-year deal with the franchise this past offseason. He has played in 13 games with the team this season, tallying 63 total tackles, five passes defended, two interceptions and two forced fumbles.
–Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
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