Damon Huard spent three seasons with the New England Patriots. The former NFL quarterback now sympathizes with the Pats amid the franchise’s “DeflateGate” controversy.
The Patriots obviously are in hot water after the NFL discovered that the footballs they provided for Sunday’s AFC Championship Game were under-inflated, but Huard, like many other former signal-callers, finds the whole situation to be overblown. Huard can’t help but wonder whether New England’s recent success is propelling the story to its crazy heights.
“I find it utterly ridiculous,” Huard told the Providence Journal by phone Wednesday. “I think anytime you’re on top of the mountain, much like the Patriots are as an organization, this is just the stuff that comes your way. I think it’s absurd. No one wants to throw a flat football to begin with. I feel bad for (quarterback) Tom (Brady) and Mr. Kraft, coach (Bill) Belichick. When you accomplished all you have this season, especially with the tough start, that a week and a half before the Super Bowl, instead of really having a wonderful experience, you have to deal with these accusations.”
Belichick said Thursday he had no knowledge of the Patriots’ under-inflated footballs. He also said Brady could shed light on his personal football preferences. Huard, who played alongside Brady from 2001 to 2003, insists he never discussed the topic with the future Hall of Fame quarterback, though. Air pressure simply wasn’t a priority for the Patriots, who won their first of three Super Bowl titles following the 2001 season.
“Never. No. Ball inflation by no means,” Huard told the Providence Journal. “The only time over my career I remember ball inflation (coming up) was with a punter in Miami, I forget his name, he wanted the balls all pumped up. This was before the ‘K’ balls. That’s the only time I can ever remember messing with the inflation or deflation of the ball and having to stick a couple super-inflated punter balls into our mix of passing balls. It drove me nuts.”
This whole “DeflateGate” fiasco also appears to be driving some people nuts. Count Huard among the annoyed.
Thumbnail photo via Matt Slocum/The Associated Press
