Dolphins teammate surprised by Derrick Shelby arrest

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When Dolphins defensive end Jared Odrick heard about teammate Derrick Shelby’s arrest and suspension over the weekend, he was surprised.

He also was disappointed because of the scrutiny it brings to the Dolphins and football players in general, specifically a large subset of them.

“I saw the [headline] and I thought it was the Onion News reporting it, thinking it was fake,” Odrick said, via Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald. “He’s such a smart guy. He’s knowledgable and he loves his job and loves working hard every day and coming in and really setting a standard.

“He’s just so talented and such a great individual to have as part of the organization and the community. I was very surprised.”

Shelby was arrested for resisting arrest without violence and trespassing after an incident outside a nightclub. His bloodied face in his mughsot suggest some degree of violence, and police say they had to use a taser on him three times while restraining him.

Odrick said he had talked to Shelby since the incident, and his teammate was remorseful.

“The thing that we’re reminded of as professional athletes, and black men, is that we’re targets more than anybody else,” Odrick said. “We have to uphold a standard, on and off the field, in and outside the building, more than anyone else in society. That’s something we’re going to have to accept.”

That scrutiny comes with their celebrity status and salary, and also brings a greater responsibility.