NC State Athletes Break Silence on Trainer's Alleged Sexual Abuse: "I Just Froze"

Eleven former North Carolina State male athletes are speaking out to ESPN about years of alleged sexual abuse and harassment by former school trainer Robert Murphy. What's shocking: Murphy kept his job despite multiple red flags, while the men suffered in silence.

Nine of these athletes are part of an ongoing civil case against the school. Most spoke on the condition of anonymity, but their accounts paint a disturbing picture of misconduct that went unchecked across multiple NC State teams between 2013 and 2024.

The Details Athletes Describe

The alleged abuse ranged from inappropriate touching of genitals to non-standard drug testing procedures where Murphy required athletes to be nearly nude while he watched.

One athlete, identified in the lawsuit as John Doe 1, came to Murphy with back pain. What he got instead was something he never asked for: unwelcome treatment involving the trainer's hands inside his shorts. "One is on my penis and the other is basically on my anus," the athlete told ESPN.

"I kind of just froze and didn't really know what to do," he recalled. "I don't even know how I got out of it. I think I just kind of made a sound or something and I just grabbed my stuff."

Silent Suffering While Murphy Stayed

The athletes went home to shower away the experience, asking themselves if what happened was even real. They kept quiet. They left. But Murphy remained in his position despite the red flags his behavior had raised.

That disconnect between the athletes' departures and Murphy's continued employment is at the heart of this story. These men endured misconduct they described as "unwelcome" and "sexual" and still had to watch the person responsible keep working at the school.

For NC State, this investigation exposes a failure to protect its athletes when it mattered most.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.