NFL Investigating Comments Made By Titans Defensive Coordinator
During the whole Bountygate scandal, the NFL made it very clear that it would not tolerate any talk of trying to hurt or injure opposing players. Whether or not you agree with this is a whole separate discussion,but Roger Goodell has made it very clear that he will not permit this kind of talk, which is why the Titans might be in a bit of trouble. From ESPN.com:
The NFL is reviewing comments made by Tennessee Titans defensive coordinator Jerry Gray in which he said his players need to perform with a reckless abandon and not fret about consequences, according to a league source. “If you are worrying about that, you are not going to go out and try and blow the guy up,” Gray told The Tennessean on Thursday. “Great football players have to put that out of their mind. You have to say, ‘This is my territory between the numbers, and if you throw the football you better bring the Gator truck.’ And that’s how you have to play. You can’t play timid in the NFL.” The Gator is a vehicle teams use to take injured players off the field. Gray, who coached under the suspended Gregg Williams with the Titans, Buffalo Bills and Washington Redskins, told ESPN he regrets making the reference to the “Gator truck” and reiterated he was not urging his players to deliberately injure opponents or deliver illegal hits. Gray realizes that in the context of the New Orleans Saints’ bounty punishment and the league’s emphasis on player safety, his rhetoric could be misconstrued. “This is football, but my choice of words under the circumstances was probably bad,” he said. “If I could take that part of it back, I would. I don’t want guys thinking about injuring people, and when you say ‘Gator truck’ that’s probably what comes up. I just want our guys to be tougher.” The league holds players and coaches accountable for playing within the framework of the rules. According to a Titans source, Gray believes the NFL’s willingness to fine players has adversely influenced the mentality of his players, and he was attempting to change their thought process.
