KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas City Chiefs running back Larry Johnson has been barred from team activities after reportedly making two gay slurs since Sunday’s crushing home loss to the Chargers.
Johnson’s latest meltdown began Sunday night when he questioned coach Todd Haley’s football credentials on his Twitter account. That prompted one person to comment: “Hey LJ, is it Haley’s fault you fall when D-Linemen blow on you?”
The two-time Pro Bowler, who has since made his Twitter account private, responded that the fan had a “fag pic.”
On Monday, Johnson reportedly dropped a second gay slur after telling a group of reporters that he wasn’t speaking until Thursday.
“Get your faggot ass out of here,” he allegedly said.
“I regret my actions,” Johnson said Tuesday in a statement through his rep. “The words were used by me in frustration, and they were not appropriate. I did not intend to offend anyone, but that is no excuse for what I said.”
Jarrett Barrios, president of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, also issued a statement following Johnson’s apology.
“Larry Johnson’s apology sends an important message that there is no excuse for using anti-gay epithets,” said Barrios. “GLAAD is continuing to call on the NFL and the Kansas City Chiefs to use this unfortunate incident as a way to educate and start a dialogue with players and fans regarding the dangers of homophobia in sports.”
