Roger Goodell does not believe that he will be following Ray Rice out of the National Football League.
In his first interview since the release of the disturbing video of punching his then-fiancee in the face, the NFL Commissioner expressed confidence in his job security when pressed by Norah O'Donnell of "CBS This Morning."
"No, I'm used to criticism," Goodell told O'Donnel when asked if he felt his job was on the line. "I'm used to that. Every day I have to earn my stripes. Every day I have to do a better job. And that's my responsibility to the game, to the NFL, and to what I see as society."
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Goodell's decisions following Rice's domestic violence arrest in February have been widely criticized, and calls for his resignation only increased in volume after TMZ released explicit video of the incident that occurred at a casino in Atlantic City, N.J. Just hours after the video was released on Monday, the Baltimore Ravens terminated Rice's contract and the NFL announced his initial two-game suspension had been changed to an indefinite ban.
In his interview with CBS on Tuesday, Goodell insisted that the NFL had not seen the incriminating video of Rice punching his then-fiancee and now wife in the casino elevator until it was released by TMZ on Monday.
"We had not seen any videotape of what occurred in the elevator," Goodell told O'Donnell. "We assumed that there was a video. We asked for video. We asked for anything that's pertinent. But we were never granted that opportunity."
Goodell's critics believe that his mishandling of the Rice situation should lead to his resignation or ouster from the NFL. Sports journalists Frank Deford and Keith Olbermann have called for a change in NFL leadership and U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.) said Goodell should "consider it seriously" when asked by The Hill on Tuesday if he should resign.