Scott Fujita isn't a member of the New Orleans Saints any longer, but it's clear his ties to the franchise remain strong three years later.
Fujita, now a Cleveland Browns linebacker, admitted Tuesday he was in the room in January, when former Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams gave his infamous pregame speech imploring his players to target certain San Francisco 49ers for injury in an NFC Divisional Playoff Game.
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"I'm not proud of things that were said by Gregg Williams, and at the same time, he's a man I respect and loved playing for, so there's definitely a conflict with all that," Fujita said after the Browns opened their three-day minicamp, according to The Associated Press.
Fujita said he was in San Francisco that night as an escort to Steve Gleason, a former Saints teammate who's afflicted with ALS. Gleason is the subject of a documentary by Sean Pamphilon, who eventually released the Williams audio.
Fujita wouldn't go into Pamphlion's assertion that Fujita and Saints quarterback Drew Brees pushed the filmmaker to publicly release the audio to help clear the players' names.
"A lot of things are personal matters, and I'm just going to leave it at that," Fujita said. "Sean Pamphilon is a very good filmmaker who absolutely wants to affect positive change when it comes to health and safety in this game, and I absolutely respect that."
Fujita has been suspended for three games for his role in the "bounty" scandal. His hopes for a successful appeal were hurt Monday when an arbitrator ruled that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has the authority to discipline players in connection to the "bounty" investigation.
"It's certainly disappointing, but this is a part of the process," Fujita said. "You've just got to be patient and respect that process and just keep hoping for a positive outcome."
