Anything goes at the bottom of a fumble pile. Players will punch, kick and even eye gouge to recover the ball. In a recent interview, Panthers corner back Josh Norman admitted to doing just that against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
“I can’t even describe it to you. It was like being in the doghole, trying to get out of there. Fight, fight, fight. Trying to grab the ball, digging in folks’ eyes and everything; eye-gouging. I think Hurns didn’t like that too well. He was pushing and I went somewhere else and I had to understand it was the game and can’t go out there like that.”
All is fair in love and the bottom of the fumble pile. Some may question the sportsmanship of something like this, but it occurs at the bottom of every fumble pile. If Tom Brady and the Patriots can get away with habitual cheating, fans and the league should make nothing of this.
H/T: Pro Football Talk