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NEW YORK -- Jonathan Martin spent nearly seven hours going into "great detail" with the NFL counsel investigating his claims of his harassment in the Miami Dolphins locker room. What came up in their talks, he isnt saying for now. He would say this: He still wants to play in the NFL. Martin -- in town because the league is trying to gather information about the bullying he says he was subjected to by teammate Richie Incognito -- arrived at the Manhattan office building of special investigator Ted Wells on Friday morning, and didnt emerge until shortly after sunset. Mobbed by media, he stood in the camera lights and read a statement. "Although I went into great detail with Mr. Ted Wells and his team, I do not intend to discuss this matter publicly at this time," Martin said. "This is the right way to handle the situation. "Beyond that, I look forward to working through the process and resuming my career in the National Football League." After that, he and attorney David Cornwell went back into the building, later leaving via a side exit. The crowd outside the building drew attention from office workers and tourists all day. Some even stopped to watch and wait, and most seemed familiar with Martins story. Even Miami-based hip-hop artist Rick Ross came by. His record label is located in the building across the street. Incognito has acknowledged leaving a voicemail for Martin in April in which he used a racial slur, threatened to kill his teammate and threatened to slap Martins mother. Incognito has said he regrets the racist and profane language, but said it stemmed from a culture of locker-room "brotherhood," not bullying. Incognito is white and Martin is black. Teammates, both black and white, have said Incognito is not a racist, and theyve been more supportive of the veteran guard than they have of Martin. Incognito has been suspended by the Dolphins. He filed a grievance Thursday against the team over his suspension, and has said his conduct was part of the normal locker-room environment. Dolphins owner Stephen Ross also plans to meet with Martin, who said Friday that he will indeed get together with the Dolphins front office. On Monday, Ross said two committees would examine the locker-room culture. Players have been virtually unanimous in saying it doesnt need to be changed. At Dolphins practice Friday, long snapper John Denney, the teams players union representative, was asked about problems. "I cant say I saw it firsthand because Im not an offensive lineman, and Im not in their offensive line room. I can tell you from my perspective, and having been in this locker room, I never saw it coming," he said. "I can say that. It was a surprise to me. There did not seem to be an increase in behavioural problems. Its been the same here my entire career." Coach Joe Philbin also talked to reporters but kept his focus on football. "I believe in the guys we have in the locker room," he said. "I believed in them before this all took place, before all this scrutiny came upon us. "And I believe in them today." While Martin was in New York, and long before he spoke, Incognitos grievance was a talking point in the locker room some 1,300 miles away. "Hes got to do what hes got to do. Im never going to tell somebody how to run their life," wide receiver Mike Wallace said. "You got to get your money, man. I dont really have too much to say about it." Martin alleges he was harassed daily by teammates, including Incognito, and the case has raised questions about job security for Philbin, his assistants and general manager Jeff Ireland. Philbin won a vote of confidence this week from Ross, but that could change depending on the findings of Wells, who was brought into the situation last week. Wells is expected in Miami next week to talk with Dolphins players, coaches and staff. Wells will determine the role of Philbin, his staff and Miami management in the case, and his report will be made public. One issue is whether anyone on the coaching staff ordered Incognito to "toughen up" Martin, a second-year tackle from Stanford who became a starter as a rookie but played poorly at times. Martin left the team two weeks ago and has been with family in California undergoing counselling for emotional issues. Centre Mike Pouncey missed practice Friday because of an illness and is listed as questionable for Sundays game against San Diego, raising the possibility the Dolphins will be without a third starting offensive lineman. The case inspired a national debate about workplace bullying and attracted a daily throng of 100 media members or more at the Dolphins complex. In Manhattan, both CNN and Fox News Channel were on hand outside the meeting. The Dolphins (4-5) have slumped after a 3-0 start, and on Sunday they play at home for the first time since the scandal broke. 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Liam Herbst made 21 saves for the win.Brendan Lemieux had both of Barries (10-10-2) goals.CHICAGO - The young man with broad shoulders and a bright smile leans back, relaxed in his chair, and crosses his muscular arms, because young men like him, with broad shoulders and bright smiles dont have much to worry about. Theyre big enough for every moment. The world and its opportunities should belong to him: Hes 23, 6-foot-6, and a recent graduate of Iowa State — and oh, this Brampton boy is headline news in Des Moines, Iowa. And if this was Des Moines, and the young man was sitting inside the Hilton Coliseum - where the Iowa State Cyclones play - hed be affectionately crushed by so many wearing so much cardinal and yellow, because they know him. Hes Melvin Ejim: No one has played more basketball games for Iowa State (135). Few Cyclones have ever been as successful on a basketball court (12th in scoring with 1,643 points). But this isnt Des Moines, this is a big gymnasium on Chicagos west side. Its the second day of the NBA combine and in this large gym are plenty other large, young men with huge reputations from other corners of America. And they want to steal Melvins dream. Because in front of NBA general managers and scouts there are no pep bands to proclaim Ejims college achievements; all he has are his broad shoulders and a basketball - his tools to answer the crucial question: Who is Melvin Ejim? But dont they not know him already? "I dont think they knew as much about me," Ejim says, and his smile turns into a sneer. "If anything, people knew about me more in the Big 12 (NCAA conference), and everybody appreciated what I did, but it was still kind of downplayed. "But I think once I got the Big 12 Player of the Year, and I beat out Andrew Wiggins - who is a phenomenal player - people started to realize: Wait, Wiggins was in that league? Marcus Smart was in that league? Joel Embiid was in that league? And THIS guy got the Big 12 Player of the Year? It solidified for people: Well he might actually be pretty good, but it still left some doubt in people." Doubt? What kind of doubt? There was Ejim on Day 1, fluttering along the true NBA 3-point line, hitting more shots from distance than any other prospect. Then on Day 2 hes screaming on the court, communicating, waving his arms, exploding from one end to the other, making himself too loud and too energetic to be forgotten. Meanwhile, his fellow high-ranked Canadians, Tyler Ennis and Nik Stauskas, decided to participate in only selective drills. And Wiggins, Embiid, and Jabari Parker, the provisional Top three prospects ahead of June 26s NBA draft, decided to skip the event entirely. Doubt? There cant be any doubt of Melvin Ejims passion and potential. Does he really have to sell himself so hard to get drafted? "I think he does," says Matt Kamalsky, director of operations for the college prospect website DraftExpress. "When you look at guys getting drafted who are significantly older than their class, its very rare for guys over 23/24-years old to get picked at all, let a lone make a team, and then be successful at all in the NBA. "But just because it hasnt happened doesnt me it wont work for him." Its not a unique perspective: Too old and too small are ubiquitous descriptions of Ejims flaws in most scouting reports. He spent four years at Iowa State, while Wiggins, Ennis and Stauskass immediate talent created immediate hype. The highest Ejim is projected to be selected is somewhere in the mid-to-late second round. After the Top 30 draft picks, however, there are little-to-no guaranteed contracts. But criticism and long odds wont blunt Ejims smile. Defiance somehow makes it brighter. "People say Im too old, because on the paper it says Im 23 and the other guy is 22 and were born in the same year— its silly," Ejim says. "They say stay in college for four years, and I wasnt going to get any younger by staying. Its part of the process. "The undersized thing, Ive been hearing that from Day 1. That has kind of been overplayed now. Theyre saying Im undersized because they have to, because there is nothing else to say.dddddddddddd. Can you say I cant shoot well enough because I think I proved that [on Day 1 of the combine]. What are they going to say? That I didnt do well enough on the perimeter? Thats what they do here, they criticize—they want to evaluate." And Ejim wants to be evaluated. He wants to be poked and prodded and tested, again and again. He graduated with a history major and business minor, and in the future he wants to go to law school. But thats tomorrow. Today, he measures his growth with every shot he attempts, and every defensive challenge. He can feel himself growing into an NBA player. "A lot of people dont think I can shoot from the perimeter, and a lot of people dont think I can defend the perimeter," he says. "Im just trying to prove them wrong, and I think that is just the first step. Letting them know I can be a knockdown shooter. I can space the floor. I did it in college and being able to translate that to the (NBA) 3-point line — just showing people that I have the capability to do that, the capability to play on the perimeter as a [small forward] and it was gratifying." "Just listening to him talk its very obvious - and its not with all these guys - he knows what he needs to do in order to put himself in the best position to get drafted," Kamalsky says. "Guys dont have that kind of degree of self-awareness and maybe that maturity is a positive." And maturity, and perspective are Ejims greatest strengths. He came to the combine not just to show, but to tell. He wonders: Why would a general manager just obsess over a freakish, young talent that needs constant work? When here he is, learning, adapting, and thriving. Ejim remembers those early, early mornings - sometimes 6 am - walking or biking or busing to the Brampton or Mississauga YMCA. Sometimes hed have to bring his brothers health card and pretend to be someone else, because money was too tight for a membership, and one person can only have so many guest passes. And most of the time young Melvin wouldnt even get on the court; hed be off to side with a ball, watching his uncle and his uncles friend play, listening whenever he was told to: "Melvin, work on your handles." And he grew bigger and stronger and better, but he was still often an inch or inch and a half shorter than many others. So he worked and worked, from Amateur Athletic Union basketball to the NCAA. He counts his uncle, David, AAU coach Mike George (now his agent) and Iowa State coach Fred Hoiberg, as part of his inner circle because they ingrained in him the everlasting directive; and if you listen to older, wiser Melvin long enough the mantra hits you like his smile: "I still think I can do a better job of being a better player. Solidify in peoples mind that Im a player, that Im good, that Im good enough." Those ranked higher than Ejim completely agree. "Ive worked out with him," says Ennis, projected to be selected in the Top 20. "I think he really shoots the ball better than people expect. At Iowa State he was playing more (small forward), going forward I think he has the ability to dribble the ball well enough to move to the wing." "We (Michigan) played Iowa State this year - Melvins a beast," says Stauskas, also potentially a Top-20 pick. "Hes a little bit undersized. Hes a guy I feel is going to go to workouts and really impress some people." Only when asked about workouts and meetings with NBA teams does Ejim become skittish. Dig deep enough and he reveals a meeting with the Utah Jazz next week, and then maybe three or four other teams after that. But each session is like a little secret, meant only for him. "My dream is to play in the NBA, to be a contributing part of a NBA team and continue to work, and be a solid player - the best player I can be. However I get there, time will tell." Maybe its why hes smiling: This is Melvin Ejims moment, after all. His big shoulders can bear it. ' ' '