Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Brad Johnson admitted that he paid some people $7,500 for them to alter the balls to be used before the 37th Super Bowl in 2003.
This news from Tampa Bay Times came after an investigation was conducted on the alleged "underinflated" balls of the New England Patriots during the AFC title game. The probe revealed that 11 out of the 12 Patriots balls were underinflated. The footballs are supposed to be inflated between 12.5 pounds and 13.5 pounds per square inch. However, almost all of Patriots' balls were only inflated to about 10.5 pounds per square inch, which may have caused their 45-7 win against the Indianapolis Colts. Note that underinflated balls are easier to hold, catch, and throw.
The report says that Johnson paid two unidentified NFL ballboys "to make sure the footballs were scuffed and broken in before the Super Bowl." It also noted that this was only divulged by Johnson to the news outlet in 2012.
Johnson even named another player, former Oakland Raiders quarterback Rich Gannon, whom he said agreed with him to alter the new slick balls. "Rich and I talked about it. The footballs needed to be worked in...In years past, you heard Troy Aikman, John Elway and Steve Young complain about the balls being slick. Phil Simms, all of them. And basically we agreed on that if the balls could be - if we could work them in, we'd work them in," Johnson was quoted in the Tampa Bay Times' report as saying.
He however stressed that he never saw nor touched the balls before the game. He also pointed out that nobody complained about it that time.
"The refs never complained about the footballs, the league never complained about the footballs...Rich Gannon never complained about the footballs. I talked to Rich this morning and he and I laughed about the whole thing being blown out of proportion," he said.
However, when Sports Illustrated tried to get some reaction from Johnson on Wednesday, the former player claimed that the reports were kind of "way off."
"I feel like my name has been slandered by using the word bribery...This has been blown way out of proportion...Rich Gannon and I had met the week of the Super Bowl and agreed to work the balls in the week of the Super Bowl, just like we would do for any other game. The balls were used by both teams and fair for everyone. I really don't understand what the big deal is. Rich Gannon and I talked today, too, and we both laughed at the nonsense of this story," Sports Illustrated quoted him as saying. He also again emphasized that he never touched the balls, he never received any complaints, and that both Gannon and him were okay with the balls they used during the game.
As for the case of the Patriots, Bob Kravitz says if proven that the balls were intentionally deflated, then the team could face lost draft picks.