Miami Dolphins offensive lineman Richie Incognito is not offended if someone calls him dirty. He might even take it as a compliment.
As we noted this morning, Texans defensive lineman Antonio Smith ripped Incognito as a dirty player, claiming that Incognito “was hitting people after the play, sliding down on your leg grabbing your ankle and trying to twist to break your ankle.”
After reading our post on Smith’s comments, Incognito responded on Twitter that he isn’t too worried about being called dirty:
@ProFootballTalk I've been called worse :)
— Richie Incognito (@68INCOGNITO) September 10, 2012
Incognito also wrote on Twitter that he believes he plays football the right way:
I will never apologize for the way I play football. Physical- Hard Nose football from snap to whistle. Get with it or get run over by it.
— Richie Incognito (@68INCOGNITO) September 10, 2012
But Incognito denied Smith’s claim that he was attempting to twist or break his ankle, saying he respects his opponents and doesn’t try to knock them out of games:
I have never stepped on the field with the intent to injure another player. I have too much respect for the men that play this game.
— Richie Incognito (@68INCOGNITO) September 10, 2012
Incognito has been accused so many times of playing dirty that it’s hard to believe there isn’t at least some truth to what opposing players say about him. But it’s clear that Incognito has no intentions of changing his ways.