Quinn Ojinnaka suspended for a game over battery arrest
In June 2009, tackle Quinn Ojinnaka (76) and center Ben Wilkerson (67) share a laugh as they walk off the field at the conclusion of team practice. Curtis Compton / ccompton@ajc.com
FLOWERY BRANCH — Falcons offensive lineman Quinn Ojinnaka was suspended without pay for one game by the NFL for violation of the league’s personal conduct policy.
He will sit out the season opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sept. 12.
“Ojinnaka’s suspension begins on Saturday, September 4,” according to a statement released by the NFL on Thursday. “He is eligible to return to the Falcons’ active roster on Monday, September 13 following the team’s September 12 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.”
Ojinnaka, a fifth-year reserve drafted out of Syracuse in the fifth round of 2006, was charged with simple battery by Gwinnett County police.
Police said Ojinnaka’s wife confronted him about contact with a female friend on Facebook. Police said he tossed her down some stairs and threw her out of their house in Suwanee in May of 2009.
Ojinnka told police that she started the fight by attempting to stab him with a pen.
Ojinnaka, who started five games at right guard last season, may participate in all preseason practices and games.
The Falcons would not comment on Ojinnaka’s suspension.
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110 comments Add your comment
falcon fan
June 3rd, 2010
5:00 pm
Get a divorce man.
Tweets that mention Facebook fight with his wife leads to Quinn Ojinnaka being suspended for 1 game under the NFL personal conduct policy. -- Topsy.com
June 3rd, 2010
5:03 pm
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by NFL FanHouse, D. Orlando Ledbetter. D. Orlando Ledbetter said: Facebook fight with his wife leads to Quinn Ojinnaka being suspended for 1 game under the NFL personal conduct policy. http://bit.ly/b0fcHx [...]
Poppa Falcon
June 3rd, 2010
5:11 pm
A FACEBOOK fight?!? Sigh…….
Mike
June 3rd, 2010
5:16 pm
C’mon man…….Are you kidding me ???
Saabotager
June 3rd, 2010
5:18 pm
This can’t be true. I truly doubt facebook is the reason this lunatic is suspended. It’s called domestic violence. Shame on you Orlando for trying to hide this fact.
sc
June 3rd, 2010
5:20 pm
It sounds like he’s being suspended for beating up his wife, not a “Facebook fracas”. Way to hide domestic violence, AJC.
Really?
June 3rd, 2010
5:22 pm
“You question me about my facebook page…Ojinakka you out!”
waynester
June 3rd, 2010
5:23 pm
DLed
Not trying to be a jerk but “Facebook Fracas” seems to minimize a serious domestic violence incident in which a pro athlete pushed his wife down a flight of stairs after she allegedly went after him with a deadly ink pen. I don’t believe in raising a hand to your loved ones and have little respect for those who do, regardless of loss of temper.
SEC West
June 3rd, 2010
5:25 pm
Are you sure he didn’t come from UGA? Few schools have a longer arrest record than UGA.
humm
June 3rd, 2010
5:27 pm
Gee Ledbetter, where I come from we call a spade a spade; this is domestic violence, so don’t try and call it by a different name.
Jack
June 3rd, 2010
5:29 pm
SEC West I think UT beats UGA on this one. However very close.
cmon mannn
June 3rd, 2010
5:29 pm
You people are a joke. You making it seems as if he just went off and beat the hell out of his wife. she shouldnt have tried to stab him. tired of all you people always protecting these crazy as? women who want to cause violence and a soon as a man stands up he is in the wrong. How about don’t touch me I won’t touch you. At some point he had to defend himself and if he pushed her away to prevent her stabbing him how is that domestic violence. the man will be arrested anyway it goes. women need to be held accountable for there crap as well.
Needabailout,too!
June 3rd, 2010
5:30 pm
I would be led to believe that most responders to a sports story are male, and many responses here are able to read between the lines that this story is probably more than what is reported, a domestic violence scene. As a female, its refreshing that you ‘guys’ are sensitive and appalled at domestic violence, too.
mike t
June 3rd, 2010
5:30 pm
Kick her to the curb,before she gets to expensive
florida falcon
June 3rd, 2010
5:30 pm
D-Led You messed up with your sugarcoating of this guy pulling an “Ike Turner”! Change it the title man!
ATLJBO
June 3rd, 2010
5:31 pm
This has to be by far the dumbest reason to get suspended … Facebook….. Really
To quote a great man (may become the hawks future coach)
Quinn Ojinnaka… You are better then that.
Najeh Davenpoop
June 3rd, 2010
5:31 pm
Just another reason to not use Facebook…
D. Orlando Ledbetter
June 3rd, 2010
5:38 pm
It was a fight over him friending — perhaps an old flame — on Facebook. It’s a lesson to all young Cyber Players without any old-school game. Pick up the phone and talk to somebody.
82Dawg
June 3rd, 2010
5:38 pm
florida falcon ….WELL SAID
wife beater (the shirt)
June 3rd, 2010
5:38 pm
its much easier to throw them out if you don’t marry them
D. Orlando Ledbetter
June 3rd, 2010
5:39 pm
cmon mann — Well, he did toss her down the steps. Not sure that it matters that she tried to stab him with a pen first.
D. Orlando Ledbetter
June 3rd, 2010
5:41 pm
Too many losers in the NFL – Headline is not misleading. They got in a fight over his Facebook page, according to the police report. He said she tried to stab him with a pen. Cops said he tossed her down the steps. If that’s not a Facebook Fracas I don’t know what is.
D. Orlando Ledbetter
June 3rd, 2010
5:43 pm
The NEWS here is the suspension. The blow by blow of the domestic violence was reported IN MAY OF 2009. It started over a FACEBOOK argument. Thusly, FACEBOOK FRACAS!
woodie
June 3rd, 2010
5:45 pm
I think the part about her stabbing him with a pen is getting overlooked here. It looks like both were involved in this tango. You can’t stab somebody over a facebook friend.
Alabama Communist
June 3rd, 2010
5:45 pm
What you fool want to be sport fans are missing, is that his wife weigh 340 lbs and stood 6′7″ and attack him with Knights Temple Pen Sword! No wonder western ancient Roman Gladitor civilzation is falling apart on the internet………
82Dawg
June 3rd, 2010
5:47 pm
No it is a domestic violence fracas… You have to be man enough to walk away plain and simple. If you are saying he was right because she supposedly tried to stab him, you too need counseling.
RM
June 3rd, 2010
5:49 pm
“It’s a lesson to all young Cyber Players without any old-school game. Pick up the phone and talk to somebody”
so d led…its ok to be a “player” if you dont get caught? Dont procreate man, we have enough folks out there with no sense. How bout dont get married…playa…
John Cusack
June 3rd, 2010
5:50 pm
Perhaps she didn’t watch my role on “Grosse Point Blank!” The pen is mighty-mighty!!! It did a number on that Eastern European in the locker hallway fight scene!
D. Orlando Ledbetter
June 3rd, 2010
5:57 pm
RM — Good point. My message was to the young and SINGLE guys. Nobody talks to anybody any more. Back in the days of “courting” that was a major part of personal relationships.
Dodaddy
June 3rd, 2010
5:57 pm
Fountain or ballpoint?
D. Orlando Ledbetter
June 3rd, 2010
5:58 pm
RM — Why the procreate talk. Not sure we have any kids involved? You talking about his parents?
Saabotager
June 3rd, 2010
6:03 pm
C’mon Orlando, you can’t defend that jacked-up headline. You are better than that. If you want sensationalism a better headline would be, “Dumba$$ Quinn Ojinnaka suspended for a game for throwing golddigger wife down the stairs because she thought he was facebooking a long lost female friend.” A long title but to the point, don’t you think.
Tweets that mention Quinn Ojinnaka suspended for a game for Facebook fracas - Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog) -- Topsy.com
June 3rd, 2010
6:04 pm
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by ATLHOMER, Pittsburgh Steelers. Pittsburgh Steelers said: Quinn Ojinnaka suspended for a game for Facebook fracas – Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog) http://is.gd/cBt0t [...]
Chief Wiggum
June 3rd, 2010
6:07 pm
As the others said, the reason should be listed as domestic violence, not “Facebook”. That’s like a couple arguing over taking out the trash, and the man hits the wife. You wouldn’t call that a “trash can fracas”, you’d call it what it is, domestic violence. Couples argue about stuff all the time, the key here is the domestic violence, NOT the reason for the domestic violence.
Perhaps she did attack him first, but it sounds like he seriously over-reacted. He’s a big, big man, while he shouldn’t have to stand there and take it, surely throwing her down the stairs was a bit too much.
RM
June 3rd, 2010
6:07 pm
Thanks for clarifying my man…I respect that. The procreate was about teaching right from wrong… with a little bit of me being an a$$ thrown in…
Michael
June 3rd, 2010
6:08 pm
The domestic violence case was dismissed.
LCDawg
June 3rd, 2010
6:09 pm
Nice work tough guy…….total dumb azz
florida falcon
June 3rd, 2010
6:12 pm
DLed- You took my 2nd post down! You know it was the truth!
GT Alum
June 3rd, 2010
6:15 pm
OK, so, DOL, my question is, if he was arrested over a year ago, why is he just now being suspended? Does the league conduct an investigation? Were they waiting for the outcome of the case?
florida falcon
June 3rd, 2010
6:15 pm
D-Led-because you deleted my 2nd comment. I will now proceed to throw my computer down the stars!
Sinsationalism
June 3rd, 2010
6:16 pm
Weak, self-defeating argument – if we’re going to try to establish an order to “what matters”, then the suspension for throwing a woman down stairs is the most important thing (battery) followed by verbal exchanges (assault or phone calls) followed by message exchanges or friending (texting, email, social network). Using the word Facebook damages the author’s credibility. Using it instead of the more serious aspect of WHOLE story, domestic violence, to grab attention is shameful.
Boo
June 3rd, 2010
6:18 pm
Why does it have to come to this? A smart kid, making a LOT of money, and doing something so STUPID!!
GT Alum
June 3rd, 2010
6:19 pm
Also, do you know all he did was friend the woman in question? I mean, even if she’s an ex, flying off the handle because he friended her on Facebook is a little extreme. Sounds like there was more to it than that, or she already suspected him of being a player, or she’s very insecure. Not that I defend his response, but it doesn’t sound like either one of them was being very rational. Of course, maybe that’s just because I’m someone who tries to steer clear of all that drama.
florida falcon
June 3rd, 2010
6:20 pm
Hey DLed- By the looks of most of these comment you might as well close this blog because YOU ARE WRONG in your technical defense of the title of your article. Clever but wrong none the less. You might as well fez up like that umpire in Detroit. You made a mistake, it’s OK though because we all make mistakes.
D. Orlando Ledbetter
June 3rd, 2010
6:23 pm
I didn’t suspect you all would be banging so hard on this. He’s suspended for one game and might not every make the team. A player was drafted high at his position. Then the point is moot.
florida falcon — Don’t harm the computer. Step away!
florida falcon
June 3rd, 2010
6:23 pm
Hey GT, sounds to me like the wife has a serious case of IMMATURITY. Like the great Chris Rock once said about OJ, ” I understand”
florida falcon
June 3rd, 2010
6:26 pm
Thanks D- Me and my computer made up, we are going out for dinner and have make up ***!
Ojinnaka Suspended 1 GM For FB Uproar - True Sports Core Forums
June 3rd, 2010
6:29 pm
[...] [...]
D. Orlando Ledbetter
June 3rd, 2010
6:38 pm
Florida Falcon — II’m sticking to my guns, so to speak. I’ll ask Queen Led when she keeps home. If she’s cool with it, it’ll stay. If not, I’ll change it. There was a FACEBOOK Fracas, some ugly domestice discourse/violence that resulted in an arrest and suspension.
KD
June 3rd, 2010
6:43 pm
The perils of Facebook.
truefalconfan
June 3rd, 2010
6:50 pm
how do you walk away from someone trying to stab you????????
steve
June 3rd, 2010
6:52 pm
Sorry, man, but you blew this one badly. Your frantic backpedaling is not helping. admit the mistake and move on.
Rob
June 3rd, 2010
6:54 pm
Headline is misleading. He was suspended because of the altercation with wife NOT because of facebook itself. He wasn’t arrested for anything on facebook Therefore he was suspended for a DOMESTIC VIOLENCE farcas
j
June 3rd, 2010
6:55 pm
THE PERILS OF BLOGS…….
Paschal
June 3rd, 2010
6:56 pm
Sounds like Facebook fracas is appropriate for this issue. He won’t make the team anyway so just say he suspended himself from the NFL.
truefalconfan
June 3rd, 2010
6:56 pm
and yes i think it is very important to know what type of pen it was any information D led? fountain or ball point?
florida falcon
June 3rd, 2010
6:56 pm
Dled- I hope you don’t lobby the Queen’s support by promising something she’s been wanting. Make her read the article AND comments, then abide by her decision. Your credibility and honor is at stake. Don’t let us down-man. The future of America depends on your decision! (No pressure)
D. Orlando Ledbetter
June 3rd, 2010
6:58 pm
truefalconfan — It is unclear from the police report.
florida falcon — The Queen just arrived. We’ll have a ruling shortly.
D. Orlando Ledbetter
June 3rd, 2010
7:05 pm
WE HAVE A RULING! THE QUEEN HAS SPOKEN!
“Quinn Ojinnaka suspended for a game over battery arrest”
florida falcon
June 3rd, 2010
7:08 pm
Man, You have earned the respect of me AND MY QUEEN (she happens to counsel “wife beaters”) And I believe I can speak for her and say she’s proud of your changing headline! YOU SIR-ARE THE MAN!
D. Orlando Ledbetter
June 3rd, 2010
7:13 pm
florida falcon — Thanks for your kind words.
NOTSO FAST
June 3rd, 2010
7:17 pm
Just one game? Will not be a factor in the game.
Maretta
June 3rd, 2010
7:18 pm
If he treated a female that way, he should be expelled from the team. Hope the judge doesn’t let him off with some sort of diversion sentence or something that hides his guilt, but, it seems sometimes judges aren’t emphatatic to females — one of my friends told me how a Dekalb County judge treated her when she had almost been beaten to a pump by her ex-boyfriend.
Gray Mule
June 3rd, 2010
7:18 pm
Trying to imitate Tiger Woods?
Dumb on his part to post something where it would be sure to be noticed
by his wife. Apparently, he wanted to hurt her by words. It worked!
Words escalated to violence.
Domestic violence iniated by facebook. How nice. A real winner.
His promise to love and cherish her sure went out the window, didn’t it.
They are both at fault. It takes two to make a fight.
Gray Mule
D. Orlando Ledbetter
June 3rd, 2010
7:18 pm
About to go pick my comrade and frat brother Michael Cunningham to watch the NBA game. You all have fun.
dr.maryb
June 3rd, 2010
8:12 pm
An Ink Pen?
A Push down the stairs?
I’ll take my chances with the Pen – Hands Down!
(I’ve fallen down the stairs like 5 different times, without a push). Spent one Easter in the Hospital – almost broke my neck. Broke my big toe the second time. Broke my back the third time & that was before my 25th B-Day!
Tell dude to wear some pads next time & get a divorce if it aint working out!
dr.maryb
June 3rd, 2010
8:17 pm
911
Oh yeah! I don’t call 911. Never have.
When I see CRAZY – I RUN like a deer! I don’t do the Po-Po…….nah! I’ll pass on that drama!
waynester
June 3rd, 2010
8:47 pm
“Performance ‘enchanting’ drugs” –good one thunderbull56
It seems Babineaux’s wife dropped charges but I thought all domestic violence cases in Ga had to go before a judge. As gray mule noted, it takes two to fight and as others pointed out, some females are out of control. Many couples never learn how to fight fair without violence and maybe they’re that way. I feel for them if they are–maybe a good pastor or counselor will help them learn to deal with their anger in a more constructive way….
Dawgs2010
June 3rd, 2010
9:02 pm
“Woman is the most fiendish instrument of torture ever devised to bedevil the days of man.”
Ted Striker
June 3rd, 2010
9:45 pm
This is why you should never “friend” your own wife on Facebook.
Jake
June 3rd, 2010
10:00 pm
Snap out of it, Ledbetter. A fracas is “a noisy disturbance or quarrel.” Throwing someone down the stairs and then out of the house is not a fracas. It’s domestic violence. Period. Go sit in the corner.
1 Game
June 3rd, 2010
10:08 pm
Tossed her down some stairs and threw her out of the house—-1 game suspension???? WOW—that’s serious punishment baby!!!
PMC
June 3rd, 2010
10:10 pm
Cut him now. He’s a remnant of the old regime and a backup. If he can’t keep his nose clean in that choice of a gig he doesn’t belong on the team. Not worth the embarassment. He can go be terrible for Chicago like Frank Omiyale.
Fred
June 3rd, 2010
10:17 pm
Just Damn Dled, you are active on your blog. how refreshing. I might read your stuff more…….
KDW
June 3rd, 2010
10:27 pm
Suspension! The Falcons should have kicked his butt off the team! His claim that she started the fight and tried to stab him with a pen, sounds like a bunch of bull crap!!!! He can get knocked around by other heavy weight ball players…but he can’t handle a woman threatening him with a pen?!!! C’mon you have to be joking!!!
Dawgs2010
June 3rd, 2010
10:39 pm
Momma says “Facebook is the devil!”
falcon21
June 3rd, 2010
10:58 pm
Good thing blogs are about opinions only because no one on this blog knows what actually happened anyway, I as well. The dude probably will not make the team anyway. All the positive things going on with this team and we get to read the negative side. It happened in 2009, that’s kind of old news. Let it be.
waynester
June 3rd, 2010
11:29 pm
Dawgs2010 Hi-Larry-ous
Mr. Turnip-Green Jeans
June 3rd, 2010
11:31 pm
Roid Rage?
Doubt it, and don’t really care; should throw him off the team immediately.
Joran Van der Sloot took the place of Jerry Glanville on my dartboard tonight. Twas a solemn affair. Thanks Jerry, you had a good run bro..
Mikefalcon63
June 3rd, 2010
11:57 pm
Great!!! Our reserve offensive lineman is punished by the league… Meanwhile, our top defensive tackle smokes weed and lies to cops about it without any word. Is there something wrong with this picture? Where is Babs??? Tell him I need a joint.
Reid Adair
June 4th, 2010
1:10 am
Throwing someone down stairs and out of the house for attempting to stab you with a pen seems a bit extreme.
Scooter Patrol
June 4th, 2010
2:46 am
SEC West, If this had been UGA, he would have been kicked off the team. Now if it had been Florida, he would have had to sit out the first quarter.
NFL News and Notes – June 4, 2010 | The Other 31
June 4th, 2010
7:17 am
[...] Falcons offensive tackle Quinn Ojinnaka was suspended for one game by the National Football League for violating the league’s personal conduct [...]
Real Talk
June 4th, 2010
7:31 am
I think it really went down the way they said it did. Everybody that write on this blog probably got a Facebook page and if you married or in a relationship you been confronted with the (who is this on your facebook page) question.
Real Talk
June 4th, 2010
7:38 am
Also if anybody is about to have any harm done to them the first rule is self preseveration.
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June 4th, 2010
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[...] Quinn Ojinnaka suspended for a game [...]
Jimmy Crack
June 4th, 2010
8:38 am
Were the stairs carpeted?
PMC
June 4th, 2010
8:39 am
In fairness to him he’s obviously a lot bigger and stronger than than she is and if she’s coming at him with a pen he probably just reacted to push her away and she fell down the stairs. Sounds like she’s a bit nuts. Glad it wasn’t an ice pick.
playermom
June 4th, 2010
9:01 am
Since the truth is ojinnaka has been suspended with out pay for altercation with his spouse should end all conversation about it. The truth is not what any reader or outside party to decide. Domestic violence is a serious thing. Just because the police and justice system says that Quinn is gulity does not mean it is the absolute. Law is excuted pertaining to fact and not emotions. Some emotions triggered the domestic violence. Leave it alone and let this young man move on. It is hard enough being in NFL and under the radar with such righteous spectators. Do not excuse domestic violence. Do not abuse the law using domestic violence to get back at anyone. Just because media reports it does not mean it is true. Lets not be so narrow minded and allow sources to determine your ability to rationalize what may be our own truths. Since you were not there, no opinion is warrant.
Sid
June 4th, 2010
9:18 am
Wow, D.O.L., that’s a stand up thing to do, changing the headline. Now, if you can man up and do that then certainly Bud Selig should change it to a perfect game……….!!
Sid
June 4th, 2010
9:29 am
By the way, when Bobby Cox was arrested for domestic violence it all started when Bobby spilled some Red wine (I think it was a 1988 Château Neuf Du Pape) on Momma’s brand new Berber white carpet. I think the lesson here is you don’t buy white carpet. Mrs Cox said Bobby pulled her hair…..are we sure this was violence……could have been 4play………!!
D. Orlando Ledbetter
June 4th, 2010
9:37 am
Sid – The Queen didn’t sign off on the headline. Made sense to me and my uncle. NO comment on the Bobby Cox story. Think that could go either way. DV if you pull too hard? Foreplay if it’s a light tug?
wowzer
June 4th, 2010
10:01 am
Just another reason not to use poke on Facebook. It’ll haunt ya.
Sounds to me like they’d be better parted before she sets his tennis shoes on fire in the bathtub. Naah, that’s been done already.
Tallcrarl
June 4th, 2010
11:58 am
Paul Simon said it best, Fifty ways to leave your lover. I say the man always goes to jail find a way from the fifty ways and go. Good bye, my lawyer will call.
Section 108
June 4th, 2010
12:38 pm
I got busted hitting up on of my old flames on Facebook, and man was it nasty!
Lil' Ben
June 4th, 2010
1:04 pm
For just 5 more games he could have had public sex in a bathroom…………………
falconfan3411
June 4th, 2010
4:08 pm
Clip his wings and trade him.
falconfan3411
June 4th, 2010
4:13 pm
Was the pen a Bic?
falconfan3411
June 4th, 2010
4:15 pm
COME ON SON!
Bluto
June 4th, 2010
5:03 pm
What if it was like 3 stairs? And she tried to stab him with a LASER pen? Huh? huh?
JB
June 4th, 2010
6:12 pm
Implication for team is what is the status of their marriage now? Are they together and getting along or not? If not then he may not be at his best for the season, so how about update on that?
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HGN
June 7th, 2010
9:08 am
Facebook or NO Facebook…It doesn’t really matter. It was a Domestic Dispute. We ALL have them at one time or the other. She hit him, he hit her back and she fell down the steps. Case Closed. Serve the suspension and get back to work.
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June 7th, 2010
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Dave
June 8th, 2010
3:54 pm
There is chivalry, and there is stupidity. All you people saying he shouldn’t have defended himself aren’t nuts. If a woman pulled a loaded gun on you, and you had one and fired back, would that be bad too? A weapon is a weapon. If she wasn’t his wife, she’d still be in jail for attempted murder.
Dave
June 8th, 2010
3:54 pm
excuse me – ARE nuts
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[...] However, Ojinnaka must serve a one game suspension this season for violating the league’s personal conduct policy. [...]
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[...] is set to serve a single game suspension this season stemming from a battery arrest in [...]
ninope42
August 23rd, 2010
3:09 am
See, facebook causes problems in everyones life, even star athletes!
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