ESPN’s Adam Schefter apologizes for ‘insensitive’ tweet about Dwayne Haskins’ death: ‘I wish I could have that tweet back’
Adam Schefter came under fire for an insensitive tweet that he released when announcing the death of Dwayne Haskins on Saturday.
Schefter’s tweet — which referred to Haskins as, “a standout at Ohio State before struggling to catch on with Washington and Pittsburgh in the NFL” — drew criticism for referencing Haskins’ struggles at the NFL level. Many, including NFL players including Lamar Jackson, Dez Bryant and Joe Haden, among others, believed there was no need to do that in reporting Haskins’ death.
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Schefter deleted his original tweet 20 minutes after sending it and was mum about it over the weekend. However, the ESPN personality apologized for the tweet on “The Adam Schefter Podcast” Monday.
I wanted to address the death of Dwayne Haskins and the tweet that I posted this weekend. It was insensitive; it was a mistake, and I can assure you is not my intention. I wish I could have that tweet back. The focus should have been on Dwayne, who he was as a person, a husband, a friend, and so much more. I wanted to apologize to Dwayne’s family, his friends, the players in the National Football League and offer my condolences to everybody close to Dwayne.
Schefter then proceeded to pay tribute to Haskins during the next three minutes of his podcast.
An apology and a tribute to Dwayne Haskins. pic.twitter.com/QxjShC4ZYu
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 11, 2022
The NFL insider told stories of Haskins fist-bumping Steelers coach Mike Tomlin, general manager Kevin Colbert and team president Art Rooney every day after practice to show that he was “grateful to be a part of the [Steelers] organization.”
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Schefter also explained that the 24-year-old was putting in a lot of work in the film room and gym during the offseason.
He was in the Steelers training facility every day after this season ended, working to make himself better to give himself a chance to compete for the team’s starting quarterback job. There are those in the organization who are convinced he was on his way to doing it, and that his best days were ahead of him.
More importantly, Schefter also focused on Haskins’ personality and how he meshed with the Pittsburgh community. He participated in team-led food drives and became one of the most popular players aboard a Steelers fan cruise during the offseason. And he also explained that Haskins was a positive force in the team’s locker room.
“This is the Dwayne Haskins that deserves to be remembered,” Schefter said. “This is the way he was and the way he lived. And apologies that was not made clear sooner by me, but the people who knew him best knew this already. This was the man they knew.
“He always will be missed and always will be remembered. Sincerest condolences to his family, friends and everyone he touched.”
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Schefter’s apology and tribute may not fully undo the damage from his initial tweet, but it certainly was a decent gesture from him. And it was also a good chance for Schefter to passively promote his podcast, which didn’t go unnoticed.