Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Carlton Davis apologized Sunday after using an anti-Asian slur in a since-deleted tweet.
"Gotta stop letting g---- in Miami," Davis wrote in the tweet, per ESPN.
Davis said in his apology that he did not mean to offend anyone and did not understand the slur's connotation.
"I would never offend any group of people," Davis said. "You reporters can look for another story to blow up. The term was directed towards a producer claiming he 'ran Miami.' With that being said I'll retire that word from my vocabulary giving the hard times our Asian family are enduring.
"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. 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."
Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht addressed Davis' tweet in the following statement released Monday afternoon:
"We have 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. 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. 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, is entering his fourth season in the league. The CB started 18 games last season, recording four INTs and 21 passes defensed en route to Tampa Bay's Super Bowl title.
