Duke cornerback Kimari Robinson apologized publicly on Sunday, Oct. 18, 2026, for an incident involving a member of the university's training staff during a game against North Carolina. Robinson swatted away the hand of a female staffer as she arrived on the field to treat an injured teammate.
The event occurred during the third quarter of Saturday's game after Duke safety DaShawn Stone was injured while making a tackle. Video shared on social media showed Robinson standing over Stone while two male staffers provided aid. When the female staffer arrived and pushed Robinson aside to reach the injured player, Robinson swatted her hand away before stepping back.
Duke head coach Manny Diaz stated on Monday, Oct. 19, 2026, that Robinson also provided a private apology for the interaction. Diaz said the team would handle the matter through internal discipline, though he declined to provide specific details.
Robinson said in his public apology that he was scared Stone was seriously hurt, but stated that being worried did not excuse his treatment of the staffer. Robinson said he also apologized to the staffer directly after the game.
Duke (4-2, 1-2 ACC) is scheduled to play its next game at Virginia on Friday, Oct. 23, 2026. The university has not indicated whether Robinson's internal discipline will affect his eligibility for that contest. Coach Diaz stated the team is "confident" in their internal plan to address the behavior, which he said fell below team standards.