Although the XFL has reinstated Orlando Guardians quarterback Quinten Dormady, the ability to clear his name “in the court of public opinion” is proving to be much a more difficult endeavor.
For some context, the Guardians released Dormady on March 2 because they were of the opinion that he had leaked offensive plays to an opponent. Following an investigation, the league found no wrongdoing and he has since been reinstated to the team, but the ordeal is still ongoing as he feverishly tries to clear his name.
Speaking with David Ubben of The Athletic, the wrongfully accused signal-caller stressed: “My name has been tarnished and defamed for things that were completely false. And that’s not just for this team or for any of this. This is for my lifetime. You google the name Dormady and the only thing that pops up is this.”
The crux of the story appears to surround that Dormady had told a friend of his, San Antonio Brahmas quarterback Reid Sinnett, that he’d be inactive for their upcoming game. It was found that Dormady was simply venting his frustrations and nothing more.
Sinnett stated to The Athletic, “I talked to our defensive coordinator and said, ‘Hey, the guy you think is going to start isn’t starting.’ But he’d seen the comment on TV, so I don’t think it was new information to him.”
From there, things spiraled out of control with group texts among Guardian players who believed Dormady had shared plays because he was angry he was going to be inactive, after comments made by opposing San Antonio Brahmas players on the plane shared by the two teams after the game.
Dormady also furnished text messages between himself and Sinnett which further illustrate evidence he did nothing out of line. Those messages were instrumental in his eventual reinstatement following the XFL’s investigation.
Although the XFL has stated “it was determined that allegations of impropriety were unsubstantiated and there is no basis for disciplinary action against Orlando Guardians quarterback Quinten Dormady,” he says it hasn’t cleared his name off the field.
As we know, once something is on the internet, it is there for a lifetime, but Dormady has been cleared by his employer and others support his story. Now, he hopes his name will be cleared in eyes of the world as the Guardians season continues.
