Green Bay Packers safety Morgan Burnett has denied insulting Atlanta Falcons tight end Tony Gonzalez during a match between the two sides on December 8.
The recently-retired Gonzalez was reported to have decided not to play another season with the Falcons because none of his teammates defended him when Burnett verbally abused him during the match at Lambeau Field.
"I don't know where this is coming from or who said it, but I work real hard on and off the field to build a good reputation around the league, and I've got too much respect for the game to even say something like that," Burnett is quoted as saying by ESPN.
"I've got too much respect for myself. I've got a 4-year-old son who looks up to me. I respect someone like Tony Gonzalez, who's a first-ballot Hall of Famer, to ever say or do anything like that. I was never on him throughout the whole game.
"I'm not even a trash-talker. I'm a quiet guy. I just go out and play. I'm just disappointed to hear something like that, and I don't know where it came from. I'm just a guy trying to make my way in the league and just trying to be the best player that I can be."
The Green Bay Packers went on to win the match 22-21.
Barney Corkhill
