CINCINNATI—Complaining that his teammates had taken their rookie hazing rituals too far, Bengals first-year linebacker Adam Rothwell revealed to reporters Thursday that he was recently forced to pay for the rest of his team’s child support. “We’re all out having a good time, and then all of a sudden I noticed everyone was gone, and I was left with all these court-ordered child support payments to take care of,” said Rothwell, adding that, including the three months of back child support that several teammates threw in at the last minute, he was on the hook for nearly $150,000. “I get that it’s a tradition and all, but some of those guys really went overboard. I mean, this is practically my whole signing bonus.” Reached for comment, an anonymous Bengals player claimed that Rothwell’s hazing was “nothing compared to the old days,” when rookies were forced to dress up as recently arrested teammates and attend their court dates.
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