New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady has insisted that he did not alter the footballs in any way during his side's AFC championship win over the Indianapolis Colts.
The NFL announced that it was investigating the use of under-inflated footballs by the Patriots in their win over the Colts, after linebacker D'Qwell Jackson brought a ball from an intercepted pass to the sideline for the attention of his coaches.
A report suggested that 11 of the 12 balls were two pounds under the PSI level required by the NFL for use in matches, but Patriots head coach Bill Belichick and now Brady are adamant they don't know how the balls got into the deflated state.
He told reporters: "I didn't alter the ball in any way. I have a process before every game that I go through the balls I want to use for the game.
"I would never do anything to break the rules. I try to play within the rules. I believe in fair play.
"I was as surprised as anyone when I heard Monday morning what was happening. I'm very comfortable saying nobody did it, as far as I know. I was preparing for my job."
The NFL are reportedly struggling to find evidence to indict the Patriots in tampering with the footballs during the match.
Simon Sinclair
