Baylor Football Player Who Beat His Dog On Camera Forced To Give Him To Pet-Friendly Home

Alex Buscemi9 years ago

In wake of footage showing receiver Ishmael Zamora brutally kicking and beating his dog with a belt, Baylor University made public his full punishment on Tuesday.

Baylor requires that Zamora give his dog to a dog-friendly home, perform 40 community service hours centered around helping animals, attend counseling sessions, and sit out the first three games of the Bears’ season. Additionally, the city of Waco handed him a Class C Misdemeanor citation and a fine.

Zamora issued an apology. From Baylor Bears.com:

“I am sorry that I took out my frustration on my dog and accept the punishment that comes with it. This incident will never, ever, happen again,” Zamora said. “I truly love my dog, however, I know that my actions showed differently and I know that I made a big mistake.”

“I apologize to my family, teammates, Baylor University and our fans for my actions,” he added.

“Eventually, I hope that everyone can see who I really am and that I am not a terrible person. This incident does not and will not define me, and I know that I am the one who will have to prove that to others in the days ahead.”

Head Football Coach Jim Grobe also commented on Zamora’s actions:

“Our football program does not condone this behavior by anyone. We are deeply saddened by it and have worked together with the University to hold Ishmael accountable for his actions,” said Baylor Acting Head Football Coach Jim Grobe.

“We have received communications about this incident from many passionate individuals over the past 10 days, and I am aware of their concerns,” Grobe said. “Our goal is for this discipline to be educational and restorative, and I believe that we have taken corrective measures to help Ishmael learn from his actions and to better understand the behavior we demand of all students at the University.”

Grobe added that while matters of player discipline are usually kept private, this one was released because of the widespread attention it received.

In case you missed it, here’s the footage that led to Zamora’s punishment.

Warning: The video may upset dog lovers.

With all the awful things Baylor has been caught doing lately, like racking up multiple rape accusations and failing to issue a half-decent apology (saying rape “happens with programs everywhere” does not count), it’s somewhat consoling to see the coaching staff finally holding their players accountable..

[via Baylor Bears.com]