NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Former Saints defensive lineman Anthony Hargove describes in a sworn statement how he was told by ex-Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams and current Saints assistant head coach Joe Vitt to deny the existence of a bounty program to NFL investigators.
In a document first published by Yahoo Sports and also obtained Monday by The Associated Press, Hargrove acknowledges that he acted on Williams’ and Vitt’s instructions to “play dumb” if asked whether he was aware of bounties being placed on former Minnesota quarterback Brett Favre or any other player.
The declaration is a point of contention between the NFL and the NFL Players Association.
From the union’s perspective, Hargrove’s statement does not specifically say that he lied to anyone, nor does it state that he or any other Saints participated in a bounty program.
The NFL has said, however, that Hargrove’s statement acknowledges the existence of a bounty program and shows that Hargrove initially lied to NFL investigators about it.
