Morale and makeup of the Bills

Third Bill to recently run in with the law

Updated: Monday, 13 Apr 2009, 11:56 AM EDT
Published : Saturday, 11 Apr 2009, 7:26 PM EDT

BUFFALO, N.Y.(WIVB) - Whitner is now the third Buffalo Bills player to have a recent run in with the law.

So what does this mean for the morale and makeup of the team?

Every time a Bills player has a brush with the law, it's another black eye for the team.

But in this case, fans don't seem to be rushing to judgment.

Bills safety Donte Whitner talked to our CBS affiliate today after being released from the Cleveland City Jail.

"I'm sorry you that guys have to be here today, but I feel in the future this thing will come to pass and the truth will come out and I will be proven innocent," said Bills Safety Donte Whitner.

Whitner says he was at a birthday party at the House of Blues in Cleveland.

Cleveland police say several fights broke out in the street around 3 a.m. Saturday and that Whitner tried to access the area.

An officer ended up using a taser on Whitner and put him in cuffs. Whitner says he may sue.

Mike Lewandowski sells several Whitner football cards at First N' Goal Sports Cards on Niagara Falls Boulevard.

"To have the police taser you, something must have bothered him enough and I want to know why and what happened," said owner of First N' Goal Sports Cards, Mike Lewandowski.

For that reason, Lewandowski is reserving judgment until all the facts come out.

He says Whitner has always had a good reputation here in Buffalo.

But with running back Marshawn Lynch getting a three-game suspension for a February gun possession arrest in California, and safety Ko Simpson getting arrested outside a South Carolina bar in January, Lewandowski says the Bills should be concerned about the character of its players.

"Especially in Buffalo because we're totally blue collar. We're a lunch bucket city period. That's just the way we are. So that matters to guys like us that earn our dollars the hard way, by just working for it. It matters," Lewandowski said.

The Bills issued a statement saying "We are aware of the report. At the present time we are attempting to gather all of the facts and will defer comment until that process is completed."

Copyright WIVB.com

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