Duke football star Kimari Robinson has publicly apologized after facing backlash over his treatment of a female training staff member during Saturday’s loss to North Carolina. The redshirt junior cornerback acknowledged that his actions were wrong and said the staff member did not deserve what happened, as reported [1] by The New York Post.
The incident unfolded as training staff members attended to injured Duke safety DaShawn Stone. Robinson was near his teammate while Stone remained on the field, and the female staff member approached with two other members of the training staff.
She attempted to move Robinson out of the way so she could check on Stone. After she placed a hand on Robinson’s shoulder, Robinson forcibly swiped at her arm rather than immediately giving her room to reach the injured player.
This, @DukeFOOTBALL can’t happen. Check out the 7-9 second mark where the female athletic trainer tries to get the player hovering to move so she can help and he swings his arm at her. He needs to listen to her and know where he should be. If not where is the line? https://t.co/o7VAg4fxlm
— Kevin Kelley (@coachkelley1) October 17, 2026 [2]
Video of the moment spread widely on Saturday and drew sharp criticism from viewers. Many called out Robinson for disrespecting a staff member who was trying to perform her job and assist one of his teammates.
Robinson addressed the backlash in a public statement and accepted responsibility for his conduct. “I was completely wrong, and she did not deserve that,” the statement read.
He linked his emotional reaction to his concern for Stone, whom he described as being like family to him. Robinson wrote, “…The injured player on the ground, DaShawn Stone, is like family to me, and I was scared he might be seriously hurt.”
Even while explaining his fear, Robinson said it did not justify the way he responded to the staff member. He continued, “But being worried about him does not excuse how I treated her. I should have controlled my emotions, and I didn’t.”
Robinson also apologized for disappointing the staff member, himself and the Duke program. “I’m truly sorry for my actions and for letting her, myself and our program down. I have to be better than that.”
https://t.co/wHbfy4zhKP
— Kimari Robinson (@krobinson7__) October 19, 2026 [3]
According to Robinson, he apologized to the staff member personally after Duke’s loss to North Carolina on Saturday. His public statement followed that private apology and the intense reaction to the clip online.
Robinson and Stone have spent four seasons together in the Duke football program. That connection was central to Robinson’s explanation, though he made clear that his concern for Stone was not an excuse for swatting the staff member’s arm.
Stone eventually walked off the field under his own power, according to reports. No additional information has been released about the nature or severity of the injury that prompted the training staff members to come onto the field.
The video became a major point of discussion after the game. Critics focused on Robinson’s refusal to immediately move aside and the forceful motion he made toward the woman as she attempted to reach Stone.
Others defended Robinson by pointing to the emotions involved in seeing a close friend and teammate lying motionless on the field. Robinson’s own statement recognized those emotions while still taking responsibility for failing to control them.
The moment placed the female staff member in the middle of a tense scene as she tried to reach an injured player. The footage showed her attempting to move Robinson by placing her hand on his shoulder before he swiped at her arm.
Duke has not publicly addressed the incident. The football program has not announced any discipline for Robinson, and head coach Manny Diaz has not publicly commented on what occurred or Robinson’s subsequent apology.
The controversy followed a difficult result for Duke, which lost to North Carolina by a score of 24 to 20. The defeat dropped Duke to 4 and 2 on the season.
For Robinson, the public response centered on accountability. He did not dispute what the video showed, and his statement directly acknowledged that the staff member deserved better treatment while she was attempting to care for Stone.
The apology also made a distinction between Robinson’s fear for his teammate and his behavior toward the staff member. Although he described Stone as family and said he feared a serious injury, Robinson stated that those concerns did not excuse his actions.