TAMPA, Fla. – Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Carlton Davis has apologized for tweeting an anti-Asian slur, saying he didn’t understand the offensive nature of a word he used.
A key member of the Bucs’ Super Bowl-winning defense, Davis is a native of South Florida who said he thought he was using a term meaning “lame” in a tweet directed toward a producer claiming he “ran Miami.”
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The player’s initial quote on Sunday, which was later deleted, said: “Gotta stop letting g---- in Miami.”
“I used a term that from where I come from has always meant “lame” but I did not realize it has a much darker, negative connotation,” Davis tweeted later. “I have learned a valuable lesson and want to apologize to anyone that was offended by seeing that word because we need to focus on helping each other during these tough times.”
Bucs general manager Jason Licht released a statement Monday, saying the team had been “in communication with Carlton regarding his social media post from Sunday evening.”
“Carlton has been an active member of our Social Justice Player Board over the past two seasons and has played a key role in our organizational support for finding peaceful and productive ways to bring attention to societal issues that have plagued our country for many years,” Licht said.
“Words carry weight and it is incumbent upon all of us to have a thorough understanding of the words we choose and the effect they may have on others,” the GM added. “We look forward to working with Carlton to find appropriate ways to learn from this experience and continue our joint efforts to put an end to all forms of social and racial injustices.”
Davis, 24, was a second-round draft pick out of Auburn in 2018. He had four interceptions last season and is part of a ball-hawking secondary that helped Tampa Bay beat the Kansas City Chiefs 31-9 in the Super Bowl.’
He attended Miami Norland Senior High School.