Jets safety Jamal Adams says he didn't intend to hurt Patriots mascot during tackle
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Jets safety Jamal Adams says he didn't mean to hurt the Patriots mascot when he jokingly tackled him at the NFL Pro Bowl Skills Challenge on Wednesday. He's pictured here at the event (AP Photo/Gregory Payan)
Jets safety Jamal Adams expressed his regret after a tackle that may have landed another man in the hospital -- and no, we're not talking about a football player.
During the NFL Pro Bowl Skills Challenge on Wednesday, Adams decided to jokingly tackle the Patriots' mascot, Pat the Patriot. As it turns out, someone later informed Adams that what he thought was a light, playful bump put the man dressed as Pat in the hospital -- a detail as yet not officially confirmed by the NFL.
Adams said in a statement that he plans to reach out to the mascot and make sure he's OK, according to ESPN.
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In the statement, Adams provided some context to the tackle, which he says was all in good fun, during a lighthearted day of football.
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The mascot "was running around and everybody was booing him, so I said, ‘You know what? Let me go tackle him,’ he said.
"I didn’t hit him that hard, man. All jokes aside, I didn’t hit him that hard. I don’t know what’s really going on, but they did tell me he’s in the hospital.
"My intention was never to hurt him. it was all about just a joke but I definitely want to check on him and make sure everything is good. At the end of the day, we were out here just having fun and it wasn’t nothing intentionally to try to hurt the guy."
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Fox News has reached out to the NFL to find out the status of Pat the Patriot.