ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) - Buffalo Bills rookie cornerback Tre’Davious White shook nervously in anger at his locker Thursday while accusing Patriots Rob Gronkowski of being a dirty player for blindsiding him in the back of the head.
As for the NFL issuing Gronkowski a one-game suspension for the hit last Sunday, White turned away from the television cameras and muttered: “It’s a joke, dog.” White then turned back toward the cameras and said he didn’t know what to say.
“He is what he did. A dirty shot. So what’s that make him? A dirty player. Simple,” White said.
“I’m laying there. He snuck me. My back turned. He could’ve broken my neck,” he added. “I’ve got a son to raise, and all of that. People don’t think of that when they just react.”
White made his first comments since being hit by Gronkowski with 4:50 left in Buffalo’s 23-3 loss to the Patriots. White lay near the New England sideline after intercepting a Tom Brady pass.
White had already been touched by a Patriots player when Gronkowski led with his forearm and struck White in the back of the helmet. Gronkowski was penalized for unnecessary roughness, then issued a one-game suspension by the NFL a day later.
Listed at 6-foot-6 and 265 pounds, Gronkowski used his full force in landing on White, who is 5-foot-11 and 192 pounds.
White was dazed and immediately evaluated for a concussion. He was cleared from the NFL’s concussion protocol on Thursday, putting him in a position to play Sunday when Buffalo (6-6) hosts Indianapolis (3-9).
“Yeah, I’m (ticked) off about it. I’m definitely (ticked) off,” White said.
“Real guys don’t do that. From where I’m from, stuff like that don’t fly,” he added. “I’m glad I had my mouthpiece in. I probably could’ve bit my tongue off. I bit my lip pretty bad. Terrible headache. It is what it is, man, he did what he wanted to do.”
Gronkowski apologized for the hit following the game by saying he acted out of frustration.
“Just want to apologize to Tre’Davious White. I don’t really believe in the type of shots like that,” Gronkowski said. “It just happened naturally through emotions and frustrations.”
White didn’t want to hear it.
“No. His intentions were what he did,” White said. “A man don’t do that.”
It’s not lost on him that the Bills travel to play New England on Dec. 24.
“Oh, I’m not worried about it. I’ll take it one game at a time,” White said. “We’ll see what happens.”
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