With a league-imposed suspension possibly coming as soon as Monday, Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair has posted an apology for the devastating hit that gave Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence a concussion.
Al-Shaair also expressed eventual defiance, attacking reporters who are looking for a villain — and fans who are (in his view) “racist and Islamophobic.”
Here’s the full text of the statement he posted:
“I’ve always played the game as hard as I could. Never with the intent to harm anyone and anybody that knows me knows that. My goal is to hit you as hard as I can then I pray you’re still able to get up and play the next play. And when the game is over go home to your family unharmed because it’s not personal it’s just competition! We both are trying to do the same which is provide for our families!
“I genuinely didn’t see him sliding until it was too late. And it all happens in the blink of an eye. To Trevor I genuinely apologize to you for what ended up happening. Before the game we spoke and I told you how it was great to see you back out on the field and wished you well. I would never want to see any player hurt because of a hit I put on them especially one that’s deemed ‘late’ or ‘unnecessary.’
“To the rest of his teammates I can definitely understand you having his back and defending him in a situation like that. To the rest of the people who I’ve been called every single name in the book from reporters with their hands ready for a story to find their villan [sic], to racist and [I]slamophobic fans and people, you don’t know my heart nor my character which I don’t need to prove to any of you. God knows my intentions and anyone who has never been a teammate or friend of mine knows my heart.”
Regardless of his intentions, Al-Shaair came in hot, throwing his forearm into Lawrence’s head as he was sliding. Lawrence took the forearm to the head before his head slammed against the ground.
It looked bad. Very bad. No attempt to explain it away changes how it looked.
And no attempt to explain it away will save him from a suspension, if that’s what the league chooses to do.
