Former Jets player's mother defends son and threatens reporter with lawsuit

Frank Schwab
·NFL writer
·2 min read

Muhammad Wilkerson is 6-foot-4, 315 pounds and a former Pro Bowl defensive end. Still, his mother felt the need to defend him against a reporter.

Wilkerson’s mother Ka’idah called WFAN on Friday and tore into New York Daily News reporter Manish Mehta, saying she was “livid” with him. The New York Jets recently cut Wilkerson after two down seasons.

“Manish has never, ever liked Muhammad,” Ka’idah said. “He may have met him in temple, but he has always written horrible things about my son.”

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What seemed to set Wilkerson’s mother off was a tweet from Mehta regarding his reported visit with the New Orleans Saints.

Ka’idah was asked if Muhammad had a problem with alcohol, and she said “absolutely not.”

“Where’s your proof, Manish, that Muhammad is an alcoholic?” she told WFAN.

Mehta has written negative things about Wilkerson, though the defensive end brought most of that on himself. He underachieved after signing a five-year, $86 million deal and was often tardy to meetings, drawing punishment from the Jets. But Wilkerson’s mother was still going to defend him.

“I’m just livid with him,” Ka’idah said about Mehta. “Like, why do you keep saying things about my son? The Jets released him, he’s moved on, so just let it go.

Ka’idah was asked if she would consider legal action.

“He’s out against him. I think we should contact our attorneys,” she said. “Because this is ridiculous with Manish.

“He always has something negative to say about Muhammad. You called him a fat slob, you said he’s out of shape, you’ve said all these things, all these things about Muhammad. What’s your problem Manish? What’s your problem?”

It’s not the first time Mehta has been blasted on New York radio. It might be the first time a player’s mom has blasted him for his coverage … maybe.

New York Jets defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson (96) was cut by the team after two underachieving seasons. (AP)
New York Jets defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson (96) was cut by the team after two underachieving seasons. (AP)

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Frank Schwab is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at shutdown.corner@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!