Early in the life of #DeflateGate, it was reported that the situation arose after Colts linebacker D’Qwell Jackson intercepted one of the New England footballs, took it to the sideline, and gave it to the equipment manager, setting in motion a chain of events that led to Thursday’s surreal press conferences from Bill Belichick and Tom Brady.
Jackson now says he didn’t notice anything unusual about the football, and that he didn’t take the ball to the sideline as part of an effort to expose a scandal.
“I wanted that ball as a souvenir,” Jackson tells Jeff Darlington of NFL Media, adding that Jackson did not intend to “blow the whistle” on the Patriots.
Jackson’s explanation is causing some to question the origin of the controversy and the legitimacy of the investigation. However, Jay Glazer of FOX Sports reported on Wednesday that the NFL already had planned to check the pressure in the New England footballs at halftime of the game, based on concerns that previously were raised about underinflation.
So the question of whether Jackson noticed something strange or not has no bearing on the events that commenced during intermission of the AFC title game.