Controversy continues to swirl around the New England Patriots and the possibility that they tampered with game footballs.
Former Seminole High School linebacker D’Qwell Jackson intercepted the pass thrown by Tom Brady in the AFC championship game. Jackson, now a linebacker for the Indianapolis Colts, said he didn’t alert officials that the football he intercepted was deflated.
“All I was doing was doing my job," he said. "I made a great play and I wanted to keep it as a souvenir. I handed it off and next thing I know I’m in the middle of 'deflategate.' I’m a linebacker. I’m a defensive guy so if anybody recognized anything it definitely wouldn’t come from me.”
The ball Jackson intercepted is one of 11 deflated balls the NFL is investigating.
Jackson’s former high school football coach, Sam Roper, gave his reaction to seeing the play his former player made in the championship game and the controversy sparked after it.
“I’m thinking I know exactly what he did with that ball," said Roper said. "He went back there and gave it to the manager and said keep it because that’s going in my trophy case.”
Roper says he talked to Jackson after that game and he says he gave him simple advice to tell the truth. He said that’s exactly what Jackson did.
Now it’s up to the NFL to decide if the Patriots are telling the truth.
The Patriots have denied any wrongdoing.