Ex-Ohio State mates surprised by mess, say Eli not a bad Apple
THE Giants on Wednesday suspended cornerback Eli Apple for the final game of 2017, and now the dysfunction in East Rutherford is reaching levels usually only seen at One Jets Drive. Two of Apple’s college teammates — linebacker Darron Lee and wide receiver Jalin Marshall — are on the Jets. Both former Ohio State Buckeyes voiced surprise at the disaster Apple, a first-round pick, has created for himself with Big Blue. The Giants banned Apple for “conduct detrimental to the team.” Lee and Marshall commented on the situa-
tion Wednesday afternoon before the Giants announced the suspension. At that point, Apple was merely entangled in a public back-and-forth with Pro Bowl safety Landon Collins, who called Apple a “cancer” during a radio appearance earlier this week.
“Eli was a great teammate,” Lee said at his locker in Florham Park. “That’s all I got to say on that subject.”
"Eli was a great teammate for me. We just competed and we never had no issues — never nothing like that," added Marshall, who is on the Jets practice squad. “I hope all is well for him, man, and if he needs anything, he always can reach out to me.”
Lee said he and Apple are still close, but he doesn’t plan on contacting him.
“Everything’s cool. It’s just got nothing to do with me,” Lee said. “He’ll get through it. Like I said, he was a good teammate to me at Ohio State. That’s all I know.”
“I would never expect nothing like that, nothing negative to be around his name,” Marshall said. “I always thought of him as a high-class guy, character guy who takes care of his business. But three years ago, we didn’t have a whole bunch of money.”
WINTERS ON IR
The Jets placed right guard Brian Winters (abdominal injury) on IR. Wide receiver Robby Anderson (illness), defensive lineman Leonard Williams (back), cornerback Morris Claiborne (foot), running back Matt Forte (knee), wide receiver Jermaine Kearse (ankle), tight end Austin SeferianJenkins (ribs, foot) and right tackle Brandon Shell (concussion) all didn’t practice . ... Bowles would not say if defensive lineman Muhammad Wilkerson, a healthy scratch the past two weeks — will be active Sunday against the Patriots. “We’ll make that decision Sunday,” Bowles said.