Belichick on 'Deflategate': 'I had no knowledge whatsoever of this situation'
Speaking on the NFL's investigation into the New England Patriots' alleged under-inflating of footballs in Sunday's AFC Championship Game, head coach Bill Belichick said Thursday he was unaware of the issue until the following morning.
"When I came in Monday morning I was shocked to learn of the news reports about the footballs," Belichick said during his first comments on the issue. "I had no knowledge whatsoever of this situation."
Belichick again expressed that he and the organization were cooperating with the league's investigation, but it wasn't until this week he became fully aware of the process that goes into preparing the footballs for game use.
BB: “In my entire coaching career, I’ve never talked to any player, staff member about football air pressure. We play with what’s out there”
— Ben Volin (@BenVolin) January 22, 2015
While he briefly took questions from the media after a lengthy statement, Belichick insisted he'd already shared everything he knew, and the team is focusing on the upcoming Super Bowl matchup with the Seattle Seahawks.
Quarterback Tom Brady was originally scheduled to meet with the media on Friday, but he'll now do so Thursday afternoon.