Green Bay Packers LB Clay Matthews pans Gregg Williams speech in audio tape - NFL News
Former New Orleans Saints defensive coordinator, Gregg Williams audio tape which was recently released shocked everyone in the National Football League (NFL) with its contents.
Williams was indefinitely suspended by the league for running an illegal bounty program in the defensive roster and the newly released audio tape will likely end his career as a coach forever.
In the YouTube video uploaded by blogger and filmmaker Sean Pamphilon, Williams is heard extorting his players to injure opponents before the playoff divisional round game between the San Francisco 49ers and New Orleans Saints.
Williams tells his players to target ACLs and concussions of their opponents to knock them out of the game while also referencing the payments they will receive for making the shots.
Green Bay Packers linebacker, Clay Matthews in a television interview said that Williams speech went over the line.
"You obviously have your speeches around the league, especially from defensive coaches, position coaches, in which they want you to get after, get going, but I think that when you start to jeopardize people’s futures, their livelihood I think you’re taking
it to a whole other level,"
Adding further he said,
“I think the most important thing is understanding it’s just a game at the end of the day,"
The Saints have been punished severely by the NFL for running the bounty scandal for three years while also lying to league investigators over its existence.
Head coach, Sean Payton, general manager, Mickey Loomis and assistant coach, Joe Vitt all have received long term suspensions.
Dallas Cowboys linebacker, DeMarcus Ware and New England Patriots, wide receiver, Wes Welker were also featured in the program and both players agreed with Matthews.
Ware said that he had never heard someone talk like that about players and as a defensive player it is usually about making interceptions and forcing fumbles during the game.
Wide receiver Wes Welker went on to add that he is shocked with the whole affair and said that after suffering an ACL injury he would not wish it on anyone else.
"I would never wish an ACL on my worst enemy. Just going through that and everything you have to go through, it’s painful."
The NFL is yet to announce punishments to be handed down to players for their participation in the bounty program and a decision is expected soon.
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