WATCH ABOVE: Saints fan who intercepted game ball intended for Bengals fan refuses to give it back
TORONTO – It began with a friendly gesture between a Cincinnati player and Bengals fan, but an interception by a New Orleans Saints follower created one of the most talked about videos around the NFL over the weekend.
Midway through the third quarter of Sunday’s Saints vs. Bengals game, Bengals tight end Jermaine Gresham caught a 1-yard touchdown pass before jogging over to the end zone wall and clearly threw the ball to supporter Christa Barrett, dressed in a black A.J. Green jersey.
Before Barrett could catch the ball, 70-year-old Saints fan Tony Williams intercepted the pass and refused to hand the ball over to the visibly dejected Bengals fan.
WATCH: Saints fan robs Bengals fan of game ball after touchdown
The incident quickly spread across the internet where Williams was accused of being a curmudgeon and a bad sport.
Williams is now speaking out about why he took the football saying it was for his 8-year-old grandson.
“I really wasn’t intending to hurt anyone, do anyone harm. My motive was just to keep the football for my grand baby,” Williams told CBS news from his New Orleans home.
William says he was unaware of the criticism surrounding his catch as he doesn’t read social media. He did say he caught a television report saying he had a lack of chivalry.
“Believe me, with me chivalry is not dead. I love my wife. I love my daughter, ladies, and that hurts. That hurts me a lot,” said Williams.
Following Sunday’s game Gresham told The Associated Press that Williams “should be ashamed of himself.”
WATCH: Saints make extra effort to reward Bengals fan robbed of game ball
He also posted a message to Barrett’s sister saying: “Truly sorry about you guys not getting that ball. I’ll make sure you guys receive something greater for compensation.”
During the game the Saints organization tried to rectify the situation by offering Barrett another football.
Williams’ wife also came to her husband’s defence, saying he was not the “bad guy.”
“That made my husband look like the bad guy and he is really not a bad guy. He was getting that football for his one and only grand baby,” she told CBS news.
The incident appears to be water under the bridge as Barrett told an NBC-affiliate she has no hard feelings.
“I just want to say, ‘Congratulations. I’m glad you got the ball. I think you deserved it.’ Like I said, I have no bad feelings towards him whatsoever,” Barrett said.
Comments