A video showing a United employee and a passenger fighting went viral, even before it was revealed that the passenger in the video was Brendan Langley, a former Broncos receiver who now plays for the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League.
The video shows the employee and Langley fighting for a moment without either of them doing much damage, before the employee slaps Langley and Langley reacts by punching him repeatedly until he stumbles to the ground. After a moment the employee gets up, with blood on his face, and confronts Langley again.
Langley was arrested on a simple assault charge, according to TMZ.com. The fight reportedly started when the employee asked Langley to give up a wheelchair that Langley had been using to push his luggage.
“The Calgary Stampeders football club is aware of the reports concerning Brendan Langley,” the Stampeders said in a statement. “The team is currently looking into the matter in order to learn the full details and will have no further comment until the investigation is complete.”
United fired the employee and released a statement saying, “United Airlines does not tolerate violence of any kind at our airports or on board our planes and we are working with local authorities in their investigation of this matter. United Ground Express informed us that the employee has been terminated.”
The Broncos selected Langley in the third round of the 2017 NFL draft. At first he played cornerback, but after two years the Broncos moved him to wide receiver in the 2019 offseason. He did not make the roster that year and hasn’t been in the NFL since, other than a very brief stint on the Seahawks’ practice squad. The Stampeders signed him in February.