Cam Cleeland Recalls Hazing Incident at Saints Camp
 

I forgot about this incident. A trip to the past.

"It was 15 years ago in a University of Wisconsin La Crosse dormitory that housed New Orleans Saints players for training camp. Cleeland and his fellow rookies were herded at one end of a long, narrow hallway. Their veteran teammates, most of them drunk, lined either side of the hall, leaving about a one-foot gap to get through."

"Coach Mike Ditka gave me a speech as soon as it was done," he recalled. "He was like, 'Oh, man, you should have just popped those guys in the mouth.' I said, 'Coach, there were 60 of them.'"

Read More: For Cam Cleeland, hazing incident altered his NFL career — and life - latimes.com

Re: Cam Cleeland Recalls Hazing Incident at Saints Camp
 

Wow I can't believe this kind of stuff really goes on. I can understand the mental hazing, but something like the gauntlet where players can be seriously injures just seems unimaginable.

Re: Cam Cleeland Recalls Hazing Incident at Saints Camp
 

Listening to all this crap on hazing and bullying make me wonder why even have your kids grow up playing in those pop warner games. not that I don't think my son will be tough enough to endure situations like this but football is the least paying sport out of baseball, basketball, and etc. Even after you make team you still have to endure being cut not because your skill set but because they have more concerning need at other positions. The average of a football career is 5 - 8 years. then you have to go through bull$#!t like "right of passage"! Is the risk worth the reward?

Re: Cam Cleeland Recalls Hazing Incident at Saints Camp
 

It sounds like the Dolphins now are much like the Ditka Saints then. Out of control. If I was a Dolphins fan I would do what the Saints fans did back then and run the entire coaching staff out of the city.

David Cornwell’s statement regarding Jonathan Martin | ProFootballTalk

Re: Cam Cleeland Recalls Hazing Incident at Saints Camp
 

Stone Hands Cam?

He deserved a little ribbing.

Re: Cam Cleeland Recalls Hazing Incident at Saints Camp
 

lets see high school freshman i got slammed and shaved

college is the same

why not pro ball too.

i really do not see an issue with the rites of passage.

we are becoming a country of feel good wimps.

Re: Cam Cleeland Recalls Hazing Incident at Saints Camp
 

I don't think this was just a rite of passage or a bunch of wimps. If I am not mistaken, they were hit in the face with a bag of nickels, causing eye damage to one of the guys. That goes beyond regular ribbing, and puts making the team in jeopardy. Plus this was on a team that wasn't that good. The "Patriotway", the Steelers, or the Saints of today don't have to do that, and they have more success with undrafted rookies.

Re: Cam Cleeland Recalls Hazing Incident at Saints Camp
 

i couldn't imagine a drew brees led team doing anything like the old run the gauntlet , run for beer or dinner maybe.

Re: Cam Cleeland Recalls Hazing Incident at Saints Camp
 

Smh like bounty gate all over.. minus the suspension.

Re: Cam Cleeland Recalls Hazing Incident at Saints Camp
 

It was stupid then and stupid now, ribbing is one thing but physical harm is another

Re: Cam Cleeland Recalls Hazing Incident at Saints Camp
 

"Comradery Building" activities are nothing new to sports, the military, college campuses, High School Bands, the Science Club. I have been hazed by the ARMY, a Fraternity, and pretty much life it self.

Contrary to popular belief, there is a value there as long as it is exercised with some reasonable restraint and no one is put in danger. We all do it, yes you do it also. You've never joked with the new guy at work? Never done anything with your son to toughen him a little? We haze with each other here in these forums regularly LOL...

In tight knit groups such as the military or violent sports its provides a wealth of knowledge about the other members of your group that you could not obtain with out it.

When a veteran group of people haze a rookie group of people it actually forces the rookie group to pull together and bond.

Get past the "I would never"... Yes you have. If you for some reason think it is beyond our team you are extremely naive.

Re: Cam Cleeland Recalls Hazing Incident at Saints Camp
 

I thought his hands were fine it was his knees that were broke. I kept waiting for him to get in the game and be great. I even had a poster of him in my room (maybe I shouldn't have admitted that.) The Saints were unlucky with TE'S for a long, long time. Then a promising one like Boo Williams or Ernie Conwell come along and I would think "Alright! Finally a good TE!" And they were good for a short time. Then they were gone.

Re: Cam Cleeland Recalls Hazing Incident at Saints Camp
 

This happens everywhere. Its the leadership that prevails, which miami is clearly lacking.

Re: Cam Cleeland Recalls Hazing Incident at Saints Camp
 

It happens every where to an extent. Leadership is necessary to determine the extent. And it's obvious that leadership was absent for saints under Ditka and the Dolphins. I wonder what vacarro had to do for Jenkins and the defense.