Packer Aide, Linebacker Reportedly Scuffled After Loss at Indianapolis

Green Bay Packer assistant coach Virgil Knight threw a soft-drink can at linebacker Mike Douglass, and the two of them scuffled in the National Football League team’s locker room following Sunday’s 37-10 loss to the Colts at at Indianapolis, the Green Bay Press-Gazette reported Tuesday.

The newspaper quoted unidentified players as saying that the incident began when Douglass took exception to criticism directed at him by Coach Forrest Gregg in remarks to the team.

“He (Douglass) was just defending his play,” one player was quoted as saying.

Knight then tossed the can toward Douglass from a distance of about 20 feet but missed hitting him, according to a player. Those quoted were unable to say for certain how much liquid was in the can, but one player said that it was thrown at considerable velocity.

The players were quoted as saying that Knight, the Packer strength and conditioning coach, and Douglass began to fight after the can was thrown. One player estimated that about 10 to 12 players and several assistant coaches tried to restrain them.

“There were some good hits, but they were restrained rather quickly,” one player said of the fight.

The scuffle began in a corner of the locker room and carried across the room near the door. Reporters standing outside the locker room were able to hear people in the locker room screaming at one another.

“It was the most unreal situation I have ever been in,” one player said. “There was amazement among a lot of players that this could happen in the National Football League.”

The situation calmed down after about a minute, one player said, and the team sat in silence for several minutes before Gregg said a few more words. Gregg met with the media about 20 minutes after the team was inside the locker room.

Knight, 37, supervised the Packers’ informal running workout as usual Monday, and Douglass was also at practice.

Knight declined comment when reached about the report Tuesday.