Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair took to social media on Monday morning and shared an emotional apology for his dirty hit on Sunday, which injured Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence.
In a lengthy message shared on his Instagram Stories and on X, Al-Shaair apologized to Lawrence, stating in part that he “always played the game as hard as I could” and “never with the intent to harm anyone.”
“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!” he posted.
“We both are trying to do the same thing 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.”
