Former Tampa Quarterback Had Footballs Altered Before Super Bowl Win Over Raiders
OAKLAND (CBS SF) - The New England Patriots are accused of using deflated footballs in their dominating AFC Title Game win over the Colts last Sunday, but as CBS Sports points out, it wouldn't be the first time balls were doctored for a big game.
Former Tampa Bay quarterback Brad Johnson admitted to paying $7,500 before the game during a reunion of the Super Bowl XXXVII champs in 2013.
"I paid some guys off to get the balls right," Johnson said. "I went and got all 100 footballs, and they took care of all of them," Johnson said, according to a Tampa Bay Times report.
Both the Raiders and Buccaneers used those balls, so there wasn't the same advantage allegedly gained by the Patriots in what is being called deflate-gate, where only the Patriots had access to the allegedly doctored balls.
All-Time 49er great, and member of the XXXVII Raiders, Jerry Rice has gone on Twitter with his opinion about the deflation scheme.