Add another incident to a tough summer for Baylor.
KXXV in Waco obtained a disturbing video Thursday involving Bears wide receiver Ishmael Zamora. The station says the video shows Zamora kicking and hitting his dog with a belt. The video, which is apparently from late June, was “shared on another Baylor player’s Snapchat” account.
From KXXV:
The video shows Zamora abusing his dog.
Viewers can hear Zamora’s dog yelp as Zamora hits the dog with a belt. The player then kicks, yells and curses at the dog.
A Baylor student who saw the video reported it to Animal Control and the Baylor Police Department. The athletic department was also informed. Bears coach Jim Grobe said Friday that Zamora “will be disciplined.”
“We’re not going to tolerate it,” Grobe said per the Waco Tribune. “He’s going to be disciplined by a bunch of people. The city is going to get a piece of him, and the university doesn’t take it lightly. There will be some sanctions from the university. From an athletic department standpoint we’ll do some things. Hopefully, it’s a teaching moment and a learning experience for him.”
Zamora, who told authorities he was trying to discipline, not hurt, the animal, has continued to practice with the team. Grobe said the wideout will likely miss game action, but the discipline hasn’t been finalized.
“The thing all of our players understand there’s no guarantee you’re going to get on the field just because you’re a good player. Just because you’re a good player doesn’t mean we’re going to overlook bad behavior,” Grobe said.
In a statement to KXXV, Zamora said he “lost his temper.”
“I lost my temper trying to discipline him. I’ve been through training with a dog trainer to help me learn new potty training tips,” his statement read.
Added Grobe: “He was just frustrated and spanked his dog for not being house trained. You just can’t do that. He knows that. He loves the dog and takes great care of the dog. Other than losing his temper with the dog, I think he’s taking pretty good care of it.”
Zamora was hit with a class C misdemeanor charge and issued a citation, the news station reported. It could cost him up to $500.
[Visit Dr. Saturday on Facebook for stories you might have missed and chat with the writers]
The 6-foot-4, 215-pound Zamora is a redshirt sophomore from Houston. He totaled nine receptions for 132 yards and two touchdowns in 2015. He also averaged 28.4 yards on five kickoff returns. He is expected to be one of the team’s top receivers this season.
For more Baylor news, visit SicEmSports.com.
– – – – – – –
Sam Cooper is a writer for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!
