Former ESPNer Salisbury Recalls Time Albert Haynesworth Almost Beat Him Up

by Dan Fogarty | 10:33 am, July 30th, 2010

Sean Salisbury recently went on Washington, D.C. sports radio to discuss the Albert Haynesworth situation. What we thought we would get was analysis from a former NFL player and ESPN commentator on the Redskins’ hectic training camp. What we got was much, much more.

Salisbury appeared on the “Lavar and Dukes” show on 106.7 The Fan, and recounted a time that he was invited out to John Elway’s boat a few years ago. He was enjoying the evening with a few young ladies, as Mr. Salisbury is liable to do, when the night took an unfortunate turn:

“I was sitting with a couple gals, and a gal that I was with, and some people were there. And it’s a great place outdoors, everyone’s low key, in flip flops and shorts. And Albert has had his fun that night, as we all have. And he walks over to me with one of his buddies, and I’m sitting down, and stands over me and says ‘Who’s the best nose tackle?’

“He says ‘I know you Sean, blah blah blah,’ and we’re going, no problem. I said ‘Yeah, great football player you are.’ But you guys know me, I’m not gonna pull punches, whether he’s 310 pounds or whether he’s 30 pounds.

“And he said ‘Sean, who’s the best nose tackle in football?’ You know, we’d both had a few in our hand. And I said, ‘Uh, it’s Jamal Williams.’ He looked at me and he goes what? I said ‘It’s Jamal Williams.’ And I was very nice, I wasn’t being an idiot. You know, ‘You asked me my opinion.’…It’s just the way it is, who’s the best at the time, and at the time, Jamal Williams was the best in the league.

“So lo and behold, Albert says really? And then he started loud-talking me, standing up over me. And you’ve got a girl with you, and there’s a couple other people sitting there, about eight of my buddies. I said, ‘uh, helllll no,’ ok? I mean, while he’s bigger than me, I’m not exactly a small quarterback, I mean, 6-5, 250. you know, he may kill me, but I’ll tell you what, he’s gonna be bruised in the process. I’m gonna at least get a couple shots in. I can kick you in the balls as best as anybody.

“He starts talking, so we’re battling back and forth, and it becomes chest-to-chest. One of his boys had to separate him. And I went chest-to-chest, I said ‘You’re not gonna loud talk me in front of my people, you asked me a question, I answered.’ So we went toe to [toe] and got in a fight. Then John Elway comes running over, Sean what are you doing, blah blah blah, gets in the middle of it. And before you know it, the indoor-outdoor bar is wondering which one of these guys is gonna die first, and I’m thinking it’s probably gonna be me, but I’m gonna go down with a fight, and half that money he makes is gonna be mine anyway.

“So we’re laughing, and I’m talking about it, and they have to separate us, we’re separated, and I walk across the bar and say ‘Forget this, man, I want more of this, ok?’ And so Albert meets halfway, and then John gets us and you know what, John walks us over and talks to both of us and before you know it, Albert and I are hugging, he goes sal, come on down, I want to show you my boat. So by the end of the night, we got embarrassed in front of each other, almost got kicked out of a place, thank goodness for John Elway who separated us, brought us together. And we’re on Albert’s boat, having a cold beer and laughing at the end of it, and became friends after that.”

Can you imagine a frantic John Elway trying to keep a boozed-up Albert Haynesworth from attacking Sean Salisbury on a boat? All I can say is, Salisbury must have been so drunk that he thought Haynesworth was John Clayton or something (one would obviously have to be very inebriated for this to happen). Well, at least now they’re friends!

[When Sean Salisbury fought Albert Haynesworth] The Washington Post