NEW YORK (October 24, 2012) – Former NFL tight end Jeremy Shockey joins James Brown, Phil Simms and Cris Collinsworth to discuss the Saints’ bounty scandal allegations tonight on INSIDE THE NFL. The episode premieres at 9 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME.
On this week’s show, Shockey addresses the accusations brought forth by Warren Sapp and denies any involvement. Plus, the guys analyze Cam Newton’s demeanor this season.
INSIDE THE NFL, now in its 34th season, airs every Wednesday night through the NFL season on SHOWTIME, with multiple replays each week on SHOWTIME and SHOWTIME EXTREME® and availability on SHOWTIME On Demand.
INSIDE THE NFL is produced by CBS Sports and NFL Films. The executive producers are Sean McManus, Chairman, CBS Sports, and NFL Films. Pete Radovich Jr., the Emmy Award-winning Creative Director for CBS Sports, serves as coordinating producer.
Following are excerpts from this week’s episode:
Shockey on his future…
SHOCKEY: They did call earlier in the year and no I would not play. I played 10 years and I’m very satisfied with that. I’m happily married and I’m trying to get on with the next chapter, the next stage of my life.
On the perception of being the “whistle-blower” causing the Saints’ bounty scandal…
SHOCKEY: He (Warren Sapp) called me out on the NFL Network about being the whistle-blower and I replied directly to Sapp. I actually saw him at a basketball game a week later at a Miami Heat game and he said he wanted to stick by his source and everything. It is hard for a player because you build a character and you build a reputation of who you are. I am a blue collar, hard nose player. I would never do anything like that. I don’t play defense first of all so it got to me at first. I talked to Sean Peyton about it and he was like, ‘Jeremy, just let it go. The guy is on a job to get paid to sell, sell, sell.’ And it’s unfortunate what has happened to him lately, no longer on the show. But like I said, if you say something like that you better have a good source and I don’t think his source was all that credible.
On letting the allegations go…
SHOCKEY: It’s hard. I busted my butt for 10 years in the NFL and my reputation, the character I’ve built for 10 years, I’ve never been arrested, no tickets, nothing, no kids out of marriage, none of that stuff… But it’s hard because I would like to go back to New Orleans. I’d like to go back without people saying you’re a snitch or this-or-that. It’s hard but in the same sense it’s the world we live in.
SIMMS: Have you heard that a lot?
SHOCKEY: Yeah, I hear it all the time about how I’m a snitch, I’m a whistle-blower. The Commissioner just came out and he even came out and said I wasn’t the person who did it. And even if that affects 10 people in the world, it still affects me.
On whether or not he would look into a lawsuit…
SHOCKEY: No, I never would do anything like that. The only person that ever really wins in a lawsuit is the lawyers and I’m not a lawyer. Life’s too short. Life is too short and I’m going to get along with mine.
When asked if there was money being put on guys getting either knocked out of the game or hurt…
SHOCKEY: Every team I’ve really been a part of, and you guys can talk to this as well, you always get an offensive player of the game, you get a defensive player of the game, you get special teams. And guys go to people and say, you win and we’ll take you out to dinner this week, O-linemen take out quarterbacks all the time. And it’s not about, here is a lot of money and if you take out this guy or you hurt this guy, you get the money, no. That was blown out of the water and it’s very inaccurate from the doors I’ve been behind. And I’m an offensive player so I can’t speak for anybody else on the other side of the ball, but it never crossed my eyes or anything like that, no.
On Cam Newton…
SHOCKEY: Playing with Cam (Newton) and knowing how much of a competitor he is, it’s good to know to care. When I was in New York playing with Eli (Manning) his first year he didn’t have that leadership quality that he grew into as he has now. You don’t want to lose your fans, you don’t want to lose your teammates, your GM got fired for whatever reason, just, it’s good to care but you don’t go in there (press conferences) and ‘Arrggghh’. You have a perception to hold up. That’s with your endorsements. And that’s with your teammates. That’s with your fans. That’s with everybody, and you’ve got to stick through to that.
COLLINSWORTH: You’re the quarterback. You’re the general. And when you’re doing (mimics slouch position) it reflects poorly, not just on you, but on your football team because it looks like you don’t have the ability to come back.
SIMMS: I watch him on the field, the Cowboy game. Now we’re reading his body language which bothers me. Didn’t we go through this a couple of years ago? ‘Oh, I don’t like Jay Cutler’s body language on the sideline.’ Hey, I care about the guy on the field first. And on that field when I watch Cam Newton play, even that Cowboy game, I go, ‘Wow. Oh that was a good play. Look at that run, broke that tackle.’ He had really one bad play in the game. That’s what I’m looking at. They’re not getting it done on the field because he doesn’t have enough good players around him.
On Victor Cruz…
SHOCKEY: I just heard he was not even in the top 30 of paid players on the Giants. And this guy, since he has come into the league… he has been phenomenal. And Victor, I don’t know if I should get up and do a dance for you here or what, but show me the money, show me the money Victor! You’re going to get it… I think the Giants should pay him now because if he keeps making plays like Cris said, it’s going to be double. It’s just going to cost them double.
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