Derrick Johnson: 'I would never try to hurt a teammate'

Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Derrick Johnson has insisted that he would never try to hurt a teammate following last night's competitive Pro Bowl match.

The Chiefs had the most representatives in the game with five players on either side, and one potential flashpoint came when Johnson put in a big hit on his teammate Jamaal Charles in the first half.

Charles admitted that he wasn't expecting the hit but played down the incident, while Johnson claims that he made the tackle because it was the only way to stop the running back.

"If you stand back, he's going to make you look pretty bad, so I had to go out and really give it to him. I would never try to hurt my teammate at all, but compete a little bit," Johnson told The AP.

Johnson made nine tackles during the match and was named as the defensive MVP for Team Rice, who won the game 22-21.