DURHAM, N.C. — Duke cornerback Kimari Robinson has apologized after video from the rivalry loss to North Carolina showed him knocking away the hand of a female member of the Blue Devils training staff as she rushed in to treat a hurt teammate.
It happened midway through the third quarter Saturday, after Duke safety DaShawn Stone stayed on the ground after bringing down Tar Heels running back Jaylen McGill. Robinson was leaning over two male staffers working on Stone when the trainer arrived and pushed him aside to kneel down. He swatted her hand off him with his right arm, then stepped back in over the group.
In a statement posted to social media Sunday night, Robinson said he was completely wrong, that she did not deserve it and that he had already apologized to her in person after the game. He said fear that a teammate he sees as family was badly injured did not excuse how he treated her.
Coach Manny Diaz said Monday that Robinson also apologized privately and that his conduct fell well below the standard Diaz expects. The team will deal with the matter internally, Diaz said, and he declined to discuss any discipline.
The rivalry game itself swung late. North Carolina put up the first three scores of the day: a field goal by Rece Verhoff, a touchdown pass from Billy Edwards Jr. to Jordan Shipp and a run by Demon June. Duke then rallied with a touchdown on a fumble recovery, two field goals and a scoring pass to go ahead, before McGill broke a 24-yard touchdown run for the go-ahead score late. The Tar Heels took back the Victory Bell for the first time since 2023.
Duke is 4-2 overall and 1-2 in the Atlantic Coast Conference and plays at Virginia on Friday.
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