The NFL announced Friday that around 22-27 Saints players took part in a bounty program under defensive coordinator Gregg Williams between 2009 and 2011. According to Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com, players allegedly received $1,000 dollars for injuring the opposition to the point where they had to be carted off the field and $1,500 for knock out hits.
With the premium being put on player safety in the NFL, commissioner Roger Goodell will no doubt lay down a heavy punishment on all those involved. These punishments could include fines, suspensions and loss of draft picks.
Lions players responded to the allegations today with some not surprised including Chris Harris…
“I don’t know how many teams are doing that or how common it is,” Harris told the Free Press. “But it doesn’t surprise me.
“I think that’s been going on way longer than I’ve been in the league. Like I said, I think it’s just part of the culture. It’s something that’s been going on forever. Not saying it’s right, but that’s from past cultures.”
Lions DT Ndamukong Suh also commented on the reports saying he never took part in such a program…
“It’s unfortunate to hear these things come out,” Suh said via the Charlotte Observer. “Me personally, I don’t take part in those things and knowing my teammates and knowing my coaches, we wouldn’t allow that.
“I understand it’s a tough situation the commissioner has to deal with. As he has in the past, he’s going to deal with it with a stiff hand. Hopefully, people can learn from the mistakes and make an example out of it.”
Lions DE Lawrence Jackson was a little more disgusted by the Saints’ actions…
“In every locker room, it’s posted clearly: No exceptions to the rule on bounties for hurting people,” he said. “I just don’t believe it’s right, on a human level.”
Tight end Tony Scheffler on the other hand thought the program was more amongst the players and not the coaches…
“There is a lot of stuff that goes on over the course of the season,” he told the Associated Press. “There might be something that happened in the first meeting between teams and that brings attention to a certain guy, who might’ve cheap-shotted a teammate, and then there’s an opportunity to get back at that guy.
“But as far as coaches putting a bounty on a guy, I’ve never seen it. I have heard of it. The nature of the game is so physical and a lot goes into game preparation each week and those game plans always include getting physical with the best players on the other team.”
It’s assumed that the NFL will continue its investigation into bounty programs around the league, especially those teams with ties to Gregg Williams.
Could the Gregg Williams trail though lead the NFL to Allen Park?
Former NFL head coach Tony Dungy recently stated that Williams had a bounty on the head of his former quarterback Peyton Manning during Super Bowl XLIV. Dungy further stated he believed that the Titans had a program in place given that Williams was the defensive coordinator in Tennessee through the 2000 season.
The connection to Detroit? Lions head coach Jim Schwartz was a defensive assistant under Gregg Williams in 1999 and 2000 before taking over as defensive coordinator in 2001.
Now the time Schwartz spent with Williams is very limited but you have to figure the NFL will take an even deeper look into those coaches around the league that had some contact with Williams. This may especially be the case for the Lions given all the claims from around the league that Detroit was a “dirty” team.
Still at this point it seems that all of the attention is being put on the New Orleans Saints bounty program that was in place there.
Ref: DetroitLions.com, ProFootballTalk.com
