Quarterback Admits Modifying Footballs Ahead of Super Bowl Amid New England Patriots Inflategate Accusations
Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Brad Johnson revealed that he paid ball boys to scuff and break in footballs before the 2003 Super Bowl.
The Bucs defeated the Oakland Raiders, 48-21, to win the 2003 Super Bowl.
Johnson said he paid a total of $7,500 to the boys working for the N.F.L. and they agreed, according to a Tampa Bay Times report.
The newspaper said Johnson first told about the payment in 2012 before the 10-year reunion of the Bucs' championship team.
Johnson was quoted as saying that he and Rich Gannon of the Oakland Raiders talked about losing grip of the football during the Super Bowl.
"Rich and I talked about it. The footballs needed to be worked in. In years past, you heard Troy Aikman, John Elway and Steve Young complain about the balls being slick. Phil Simms, all of them. And basically we agreed on that if the balls could be — if we could work them in, we'd work them in," he said, but clarified that he didn't see the footballs.
"I never saw the footballs, I never touched the footballs," Johnson said.
His revelation came as the NFL is investigating the footballs used in the AFC Championship Game last Sunday.
The NFL found that 11 of the 12 balls were underinflated by 2 pounds per square inch below NFL regulations, according to ESPN.
Johnson said no one complained about the footballs in the 2003. "The refs never complained about the footballs. The league never complained about the footballs. Rich Gannon never complained about the footballs," he added.
He explained that he didn't know about the "inflation level" of the balls. "I don't know anything about that. I don't know how that works. I preferred to be in nice weather. All I was concerned about was is it cold or raining and can I hold onto the ball?" he said.
