The ball boy takes his responsibilities very seriously.
In a commanding 35-6 win over the Patriots on Sunday, Travis Hunter of the Jaguars celebrated his very first interception.
Wanting to commemorate the moment, his teammate, defensive lineman Josh Hines-Allen, was keen on retrieving the ball after Hunter celebrated by spinning it and letting it drop.
However, things got a bit tense.
An NFL equipment staffer picked up the ball and refused to return it to Hines-Allen, leading to an uncomfortable situation filled with loud voices and some pushing.
“You can’t touch me! Hey! He pushed me!” the staffer was heard shouting in a social media clip after Hines-Allen made an attempt to take the ball.
The staffer denied Hines-Allen’s request to get the football, and the pass rusher was rebuffed once again when he asked for it again.
It seems the equipment staffer may not have realized how important the ball was for Hunter, and staffers aren’t bound to hand over any game ball even though it’s often customary.
While players frequently retrieve balls that represent important milestones, they generally don’t encounter much resistance from equipment managers.
The scuffle may lead to a fine for Hines-Allen, even though the staffer’s forceful response possibly contributed to the incident escalating.
In the aftermath of the game, Hines-Allen chose not to discuss what transpired, while Hunter was still excited about his interception.
It remains unclear whether Hunter managed to get the ball in the end.
“It felt great, but I was on to the next play,” Hunter commented. “That happened in the second quarter, so I had to finish the game.”
Originally, Hunter joined Jacksonville as a wide receiver, hoping to occasionally contribute on defense.
But things shifted; he has become a primary defensive player and now sees only a few offensive snaps each game due to the abundance of talent at wide receiver on the team.
