The NFL reportedly fired an employee who handed an unapproved football to a New England Patriots game-day worker during last month’s AFC Championship Game.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Wednesday that an NFL worker, whose job was the collect footballs to be donated for charity, was the source of an unapproved kicking ball that the Patriots tried to put into play. The NFL worker subsequently had his employment terminated when the league discovered he was selling footballs for profit.
On Tuesday, ESPN reported that Jim McNally, the attendant of the officials’ locker room at Patriots games, gave an unapproved kicking ball to the on-field officials during the game.
A ball marked with a “K” for special teams play turned up missing. According to ESPN, another ball was given to McNally, who then gave that ball to Greg Yette, an alternate official who puts balls into play and noticed the pregame marking was missing on the suspicious ball before notifying NFL vice president of game day operations Mike Kensil, who was in the press box.
ESPN also reported a different official gave a ball to an equipment manager that was to go to Yette later in the game. Investigator Ted Wells reportedly has video of McNally and the equipment manager receiving the footballs.
Kensil reportedly went to the locker room at halftime to check the game balls due to the incident reported by Yette.
Multiple media outlets reported that 11 of the 12 balls used by the Patriots’ offense in the first half of the game against the Indianapolis Colts were found to be underinflated in relation to league guidelines. “K balls” are not used by either team’s offense; they are strictly for special teams plays.
Yette, McNally and Kensil declined to comment when contacted by ESPN.
All footballs are reviewed and approved by the referee before each game. The NFL is investigating whether the Patriots intentionally deflated their footballs before their 45-7 win over the Indianapolis Colts in the AFC title game. Wells’ investigation is expected to take several more weeks.