Ronald Darby Says NFL Hasn’t Talked To Him About The Jameis Winston Investigation
January 29th, 2018
Joe’s got an investigation update from the Super Bowl
It’s been nearly 2 1/2 months since the NFL launched its investigation into the crotch-grabbing allegation against Jameis Winston made by a female Uber driver.
Tonight at Super Bowl Opening Night in St. Paul, Minnesota, Joe talked to the alleged star witness in the case, Eagles cornerback Ronald Darby.
You might remember that Darby claims he was one of two other passengers in the Uber ride with Jameis on the March 2016 night in question. In November, shortly after the NFL confirmed it was investigating Jameis, Darby issued a statement claiming the accusations against Jameis are false and Jameis “did not have any physical contact with the Uber driver.”
Tonight, Darby told Joe the NFL has not talked to him as part of any investigation into Jameis.
Darby did not want to discuss details related to the Uber investigation. Joe asked whether the alleged unnamed passenger in the car was a man or a woman. “I ain’t talkin’ about that,” Darby replied.
However, Darby said he believes Jameis is a target for false accusations and people looking for a quick buck.
“Anybody on a high level is a target. I don’t think just [Jameis]; I feel like a lot of people is,” Darby said. “That stuff, you just gotta, it comes with the territory.”
Joe would like to know what the heck is taking the NFL so long to look into this allegation thoroughly.
Why wait to talk to Darby?
It sure would be nice if Team Glazer and the Bucs hierarchy leaned on the NFL to aggressively resolve the matter. The Bucs have draft and free agency decisions to make, and it sure would be nice to know whether the franchise quarterback will or won’t be suspended before those calls are made.
January 29th, 2018 at 10:47 pm
Hmmm…who knows if Darby was telling you the truth though? Maybe there’s something going on and he can’t/won’t answer?
January 29th, 2018 at 11:06 pm
Lots of good QBs in the draft…
January 29th, 2018 at 11:06 pm
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I doubt Jameis gets suspended at all, not even one game.
The driver at first didn’t know who was in the front seat and then supposedly was told later by a friend who wasn’t there is was Jameis … the ONE AND ONLY eye-witness that has said anything, is Darby who confirms the driver was lying and that Jameis was in the back seat,
This is NOT a “he said, she said”, this is a “he said, she said, with ONE AND ONLY ONE eyewitness that confirms one and only one side of the story”, so, to me … this isn’t even an issue and the NFL said they were investigating just so no one would say they weren’t doing anything … I imagine sometime around the pre-season the NFL will say Jameis has been cleared … we’ll see though as one never knows what the NFL will do and they could slap him with 6 games just for fun …
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January 29th, 2018 at 11:16 pm
The ONLY thing that matters now is, WHO is the third person???? Common thinking is he is on the Eagles or Pats and doesn’t want to come forward yet for distraction reasons. This said I expect to hear a name within two weeks after the SB or I Seriously doubt JW and Darby!
January 29th, 2018 at 11:20 pm
I fear the worse, no matter what either of them say. Short of a camera, how does anyone know what happened in that car? There are two people saying nothing happened, one saying “He grabbed my P***y. Jameis is the loser no matter what. Just as he was gaining traction in the community, this happened.
From a legal or moral standpoint, I just do not know how the NFL could suspend Winston over a 2 to 1 “He did not do it” in a She said – he said touching incident. I fear the worse though, but hope for the best.
It is a perfect storm against Jameis with the other incident. This could cost Jameis potentially millions in endorsements, maybe forever. If he did not do it, where does the man go to get his reputation back, let alone the millions, tarnished reputation, and prestige lost? BTW, if they suspend him 4 games. it would be a $1.2 Million Dollar fine. Not good.
January 29th, 2018 at 11:22 pm
Went out riding with my 10 yr old son yesterday and let him get his first taste of a true Powder Sled. Gave him a big open field of 4ft deep powder thinking he would be respectful and mellow to a degree. Nope! He rode the damn thing right off a 35 foot Steep incline right down on to the Lake!!! Scared the phuck out of me!!!! But he made it and got cussed out!
Not sure why I threw this in there. Some of you probably have Kids that act too much like you used to as well 🙂
January 29th, 2018 at 11:22 pm
^ NONSENSE.
First of all, you mean “who is the fourth person” as we already know three people (driver, Jameis, Darby) and neither Darby or Jameis SHOULD EVER REVEAL THE IDENTITY OF THE 4TH PERSON (3RD PASSENGER) … EVER!
They both seem to think the driver is lying and just out for a payday, so WHY IN THE WORLD should they offer up the front-seat passenger on a silver platter so this lady can sue him civilly, or if he’s another player, go after him publicy as well?
If this driver wants to get rich by suing the front-seat passenger, let her spend her own money to hire a P.I. to find out who it was … UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD JAMEIS OR DARBY JUST FREELY OFFER UP THAT PASSENGER’S NAME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
January 29th, 2018 at 11:27 pm
As for endorsement $$$$ … Jameis was NEVER going to be a big endorsement guy and never will unless he wins a ring imho … Tampa is a small market.
Outside of Peyton Manning, Drew Brees and a handful of other guys, NFL players are hardly ever seen in endrosements … I can’t ever remember seeing Roethlisberger, Rivers, Megatron, A.D., Lev Bell, etc., in hardly any endorsement deals and they were all star players.
If Jameis wants endorsements while playing for a small market team, he’ll need a ring imho.
January 29th, 2018 at 11:32 pm
Really NFL???? You are a fairly reasoned commentor IMO. Jameis and Darby SHOULD ABSOLUTELY tell that Third passenger to Step up or Get Out!. Don’t try and give me a bunch of BS about “honor among thieves’ or “legal BS” . With JW’s “History” he needs ALL THE HELP HE CAN GET!. With-holding a name is “obstruction of justice” Along with Tarnishing your name even more. What universe do you live in?
January 30th, 2018 at 12:36 am
Or could it be that this girl is full of Sh!t……I believe in 3
January 30th, 2018 at 1:51 am
BuzzFeed guys, hate people that identify as a male.
January 30th, 2018 at 1:56 am
SB,
What I said above is what I’ve said since this whole issue first came to light.
There is NO WAY that Jameis, let alone Darby, should give up the 3rd person … NO WAY! If they believe that person is innocent, you don’t just willing hand such a person over to the wolves to get sued or worse.
And NO, withholding the name is NOT “obstruction of justice” as this was NEVER a police issue and still isn’t.
January 30th, 2018 at 2:05 am
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BTW, for all we know the NFL has already told Jameis, “We already looked into this and know it’s nonsense. You’re not going to be suspended, however, we can’t say that right now as people will say our investigation wasn’t thorough enough. That said, please just stay silent on the issue and we’ll say you are cleared and free to play during next preseason.”
We don’t know what the NFL has told Jameis or his reps … the only thing we do know is that the ONE AND ONLY EYE WITNESS on the record has said Jameis told the truth and the uber driver was mistken. That’s all we know.
Demanding Jameis or Darby literally “name” the front-seat passenger is just absurd. HOWEVER, for all we know Darby and/or Jameis already told the NFL who the front-seat passenger was and the NFL has already spoken to him, and again, will reveal Jameis has been cleared later to make the optics look good to the public … we don’t know.
Regardless, I do NOT believe Jameis or Darby should have to name the front-seat passenger as such is not needed. The driver made a claim and the claim was refuted by an eye witness … and the driver doesn’t have a single witness on her side to claim otherwise, therefore … this is all a bunch of nonsense imho, and again, if Jameis and Darby know the front-seat passenger did not harass or assault the driver there is NO WAY they should hand over such an innocent person’s name so that this gold digger can sue him civilly or try to ruin him publicly … NO WAY!
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January 30th, 2018 at 4:41 am
I wouldn’t be surprised if he didn’t do it.
Also, I wouldn’t be surprised if he did do it.
Because I wasn’t there and I don’t know the character of any of the three people so far involved. Most of you guys need to stop making ignorant comments on here that judge this woman.
January 30th, 2018 at 5:46 am
@OrlandoJoe – why? And how do you know the comments being made here are ignorant and who are you to judge these people and their comments? See how that works? Trying to shut down dialogue is what snuffs put the light of liberty and justice so don’t be a tyrant. Let free speech be free.
If she is allowed to come out and make a claim of what could be sexual assault if there is proof then she should be willing to take some heat on a comments section. Then there is the fact that she likely doesn’t read the comments on JBF and the comments here are not of anyone powerful enough to start trending in the news. Meanwhile, she is directly and publically attacking Winston with zero proof of her allegations.
January 30th, 2018 at 5:56 am
Again. The dude is about to play in a super bowl and you are asking him a question about a rape accusation of his buddy where he was in the vehicle and witness.
Surprised he didn’t hit you in the face.
Questioning the Joe’s lines of questioning here? On the other article as well.
The Super Bowl players are there at a staged event for a wide variety of media, for a full hour, to talk to them about a variety of topics. A few years ago every player was being asked about Michael Sam and a potentially openly gay teammates, and many are asked each year about social issues. Joe’s NFL-related questions are very normal compared to some of what goes on, and the NFL embraces every last bit of it at Super Bowl Opening Night, formerly Media Day.–Joe
January 30th, 2018 at 6:03 am
A $130,000 payout and Jameis should be able to weather this storm.
January 30th, 2018 at 6:45 am
There is zero proof and one witness against three?
There is no investigation.
January 30th, 2018 at 6:49 am
NFLNut,
I hope you’re right. Can I come on JBF and unload on you if Commisoner Goddell finds a way to suspend Jameis?
If either Jameis or Darby get suspended, and don’t cooperate, than 2018 is already looking like we will be talking “draft” in December.
This coming year is make or break for the 3 most important figures: GM, HC, and QB.
January 30th, 2018 at 7:10 am
Goodell has other things on his mind. The investigation will go into overdrive after the SB sometime.
Not that Goodell needs an investigation. He is willing to suspend players whether guilty or not, and so it is just a formality for him.
My main concern is length of suspension.
January 30th, 2018 at 7:13 am
@SteveK
If Jameis gets suspended, he will not be cut. Remember, this happened after his first season. He has done a lot of charity work and kept his nose clean since then.
And, if Darby spoke truthfully, Winston was not even in the front seat, so he would not have been the one to grope anyone…if that actually happened.
I still don’t believe the driver.
January 30th, 2018 at 7:14 am
Bird Says
“Again. The dude is about to play in a super bowl and you are asking him a question about a rape accusation of his buddy where he was in the vehicle and witness.”
Not a rape accusation.
January 30th, 2018 at 8:50 am
I love the questions. Lee’s the man, leaving no stone unturned!
And none of us know anything about guilt or innocence in this case. The star witness arguably muddies the water even more. Hopefully Jameis wasn’t an idiot and hopefully the NFL sees that.
January 30th, 2018 at 8:51 am
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Steve K,
You can “unload on me” anytime for any reason, such doesn’t bother me. However, I stand by every word I typed above … and if you’ll notice, I specifically said the NFL could suspend Jameis “just for fun” … but to me, this isn’t even a serious matter and is just silly … when the ONE AND ONLY EYE WITNESS (i.e. Darby) confirms only one side of the story (i.e. Jameis’) and the opposing side (i.e. driver) doesn’t have a shred of evidence to back them up, there just isn’t even an issue imho.
However, if the NFL does decide to suspend Jameis “just for fun” it won’t affect his future at all imho … he’ll still become the highest paid player in NFL history if he wants to be and Tampa will be making that offer … and if they don’t … good riddance, there will be a lineup of teams waiting to throw a mega contract at him as well.
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January 30th, 2018 at 9:46 am
The whole situation is BS.
This is not a criminal nor even a legal matter.
Jameis is not officially being accused of anything. The police are not involved and never will be. There is no lawsuit against Winston and probably never will be.
This is nothing more than a rich and famous young man’s name and reputation being dragged through the mud for no other reason than being rich and famous.
The very idea that Winston might face a suspension without ever having been “officially” accused of breaking the law is sheer madness.
No proof. No charges. Law enforcement not involved in any way. WTF?? How did this “story” ever even gain a lick of traction in the 1st place?
Winston’s reputation has been raked over the coals (again) based on NOTHING.
If Goodell winds up suspending Winston without being able to show, identify or even point to some specific evidence that PROVES Winston touched that driver inappropriately – then something is SERIOUSLY wrong with the NFL and the “power” that its commissioner has anointed himself with.
No proof? – then Jameis Winston is innocent of any wrongdoing. Innocent until proven guilty is the law in the United States and one of the most basic tenets upon which this republic is based.
If Goodell suspends Winston without any PROOF of wrongdoing that can be specifically articulated – I would expect Jameis to sue the hell out of the NFL with everything he’s got.
January 30th, 2018 at 10:06 am
It won’t be “just for fun” if they suspend Jameis it will because of the public pressure based on perception. The NFL is trying to distance themselves from rape, assault, abuse toward’s women. Give the NFL any reasonable doubt and they’re going to lay the hammer.
January 30th, 2018 at 10:27 am
Agree with SB that they need to produce the 3rd witness and just close this deal.
If there is no 3rd person….I don’t even want to think about that.
Putting Jameis and his innocence or lack thereof aside for a moment.
This entire incident really hacks me off!
Why did Jameis wait an entire year to deal with it? Innocent or not that was just totally braindead.
Why is the NFL stringing us out. It’s not rocket science…find the 3rd guy and wrap it up.
Are you guys aware of what is going on at Michigan State? Heads are going to roll and as Magic Johnson has said…they should.
I’m not speaking about #3 right now but the culture he comes from…big time college athletics. It’s time to clean it up…Baylor is a Southern Baptist School and look at what happened there? Michigan State is one of our largest and proudest great American Universities.
Again…not talking about #3 here but the culture that has produced all of this.
We should develop ZERO tolerance for athletes who sexually abuse women!!!
PERIOD.
For those worried about false accusations…I agree that the perpetrators of a false allegation are just a guilty as any guy who actually does assault a woman.
There have been several high profile cases…UVA…Duke…they were eventually resolved…there may be a few others that never got straightened out.
But research indicates between 2-10% of all allegations are false. Or stated another way at least 90% of these charges are TRUE!! Those 90% have to run the gauntlet of being called gold diggers and liars.
Here is the ONE thing I wish would occur on JBF.
Calling Jameis a thug with a history of bad behavior is just evil. NOBODY should be slamming Jameis over “allegations”.
Calling the girl a liar is just as evil. No female reporting what she believe was wrong should have to run that gauntlet.
BOTH are wrong because YOU DO NOT KNOW WHAT REALLY HAPPENED.
January 30th, 2018 at 10:37 am
I want to know how long it took JBF to translate Darbys statement and put it in writing?
“Thats pretty damn bad when the Faker clan cant even understand that gibberish jive”
Kandy Faker
January 30th, 2018 at 10:56 am
yeah I think goodell is waiting until after the SB to start making it known to the public that they are/have been investigating the situation…..
I think its all BS….and if she’s caught lying, she should be thrown in jail…..same with Winston…..GO BUCS!!!!
January 30th, 2018 at 12:09 pm
The troubling part is that he claims she’s looking for a quick buck but she didn’t bring this to light. It was TMZ that found out and reported it. Bothers me that Jameis obviously new whatever happened could be brought up one day and he didn’t tell anybody so they wouldn’t be blindsided by it.
January 30th, 2018 at 12:29 pm
Greg says:
“The troubling part is that he claims she’s looking for a quick buck”
Got a source or link or quote to back up that statement Greg? I thought not.
Winston said NO such thing.
January 30th, 2018 at 2:01 pm
The fact that is even a scandal is a disgusting indictment of the cliff our social culture fell off of. An NFL quarterback hitting on you is the most exciting thing that’ll ever happen in her victimhood life. Other than money, what’s the point of even being a pro sports star if you can’t get your balogna sucked shortly after grabbing a bird? Sports star and poon go together like peanut butter and jelly. Cheese and crackers. Ham and burger
January 30th, 2018 at 2:13 pm
There are a lot of assumptions in these comments above!!!!!! We should stick to the facts, until more comes to light!!!!!!! Right now, the only thing we know for sure is that our Quarterback is no H0m0!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
GO Bucs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
January 30th, 2018 at 2:20 pm
Gracefully said, Clod 🙂
January 30th, 2018 at 4:42 pm
I know that it is tough to imagine what is necessary to protect an image when our income earning potential is not based on public image, but please use a little rational thought folks.
“Bothers me that Jameis obviously new whatever happened could be brought up one day and he didn’t tell anybody so they wouldn’t be blindsided by it.”
If Winstion knows that this is a lie and his counsel advised him that they can make it go away, then why would he not try to keep it out of the public eye completely; just settle it quietly?
To the rationale that the woman did not want money because she did not speak out, it was TMZ. If someone has a scandalous case against a famous person, what is the best way to put pressure on them to settle in the amount that they want? Just leak the story to a organization like TMZ that can make it go viral in an instant and the price to settle just went through the roof.
No one outside of the parties know what happened in that car, but one thing is for sure. Jamies Winston is the only person that, no matter what happened will pay the price, and that is wrong.
January 30th, 2018 at 6:57 pm
“LOL! That was the best post ive read from the The Buc Realist! Who said people from Sebring doesnt have a sense of humor”
Kandy Faker
January 30th, 2018 at 7:36 pm
could be the girl is full of SPIT??…..
well the NFL is the one who dug it up and questions her ….which got her to say something…..
hmmm…..hope for the best but this still STINKS like garbage truck juice
January 30th, 2018 at 7:37 pm
questioned* / typo
January 31st, 2018 at 5:05 pm
Short of video footage, what exactly constitutes evidence in a croch grab?
Wasn’t Darby also a teammate and THE eye-witness who defended Jameis during the FSU scandal? Mighty coincidental yet, possible. It just detracts from credibility.
Innocent people shout their innocence from mountain tops and they clear their name; post-haste!