Marcel Louis-Jacques, ESPN November 30, 2023, 7:29 p.m. ET
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- Marcel Louis-Jacques joined ESPN as a beat reporter in 2019, covering the Buffalo Bills before joining the Miami Dolphins in 2021. The former Carolina Panthers beat writer for the Charlotte Observer won the APSE Award for breaking news and the South Carolina Press Association Award for business writing in 2018.
MIAMI (AP) — Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill said Thursday he will pay the salary of a photographer whose eligibility was suspended by the NFL.
In a video posted to social media on Tuesday, photographer Kevin Fitzgibbons, who was hired by the NFL to shoot the Dolphins’ home games, said that because of his role in Hill’s, he was suspended by the league for the remainder of the season “and possibly forever.” ” touchdown celebration against the Carolina Panthers during a win in Week 6.
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After the goal, Hill took Fitzgibbons’ cell phone and filmed himself doing a backflip, causing the photographer to jump up and down excitedly before leaving the field to send the clip to the NFL, according to Fitzgibbons.
Hill and Fitzgibbons said the incident was unplanned, but Fitzgibbons said the NFL did not appreciate his reaction after the celebration.
“The NFL then informed me that I would be suspended for the remainder of the season and possibly forever,” Fitzgibbons said in his video. “You said anyway [of] Whether I knew the celebration was coming or not, I still had to be disciplined and not stand on the sidelines after the game.
Hill was penalized for using a prop during a celebration, but shifted the blame away from Fitzgibbons when asked about it after the game.
“It’s just one of those things that happened,” Hill said. “I saw the camera and I just took it away from him and he didn’t want me to take it away from him. So I just made the decision.”
Fitzgibbons’ video went viral, reaching more than 4.5 million views on TikTok and more than 100,000 likes on Instagram.
Hill was asked about the suspension on Thursday. He said he and Fitzgibbons were long-time friends and he would cover any lost wages.
“Me and K-Fitz, we have a long history together,” Hill said. “The news is something I already knew. I told him not to let that get to you. Just keep your head up. You are still young. Keep doing what you love. Me and him will continue to work together.”
“I told him I would cover his salary no matter what the NFL paid him or whatever. I told him I’m going to make sure I do the right thing and take care of you, make sure you’re not out of a job. That’s my type.
A league source confirmed Fitzgibbons’ suspension to ESPN, but clarified that he is still an NFL employee and is not barred from future events.
“Despite reports to the contrary, Kevin Fitzgibbons remains a contract employee of the NFL,” the league source told ESPN. “While his playing access has been temporarily suspended for multiple violations of NFL policy, he is welcome and encouraged to participate in a number of other projects that include off-field league events as well as personal projects with players.”
Fitzgibbons, 20, is a student at the University of Miami and has done personal videography/photography for players such as Hill and Saquon Barkley. He has been under contract with the NFL since the 2022 season.
At the end of his video, he said he understood the NFL’s decision to suspend him and thanked the league for the opportunity.