A sideline squabble over a souvenir has taken on a life of its own, and the latest twist is a good one: the ball boy who got into it with Josh Hines-Allen reportedly wasn’t even working for Jacksonville.
The whole scene started Sunday after Travis Hunter picked off his first career interception. Hines-Allen wanted the ball.
A team staffer wasn’t interested in handing it over. What began as a tug-of-war quickly escalated into a shove and a swipe that were caught on camera, turning a keepsake grab into one of the stranger moments of the day.
Then came the detail that changed the story. TMZ Sports’ Michael Babcock said Monday he was told the ball boy was a Patriots employee. Neither team has publicly confirmed that, so for now it remains a single-source claim, even if it came from a well-known reporter in the space.
That wrinkle at least adds some context to why the exchange may have gone the way it did. A staffer with no connection to Jacksonville had little reason to surrender a ball meant for a Jaguars player.
The Jaguars have already tried to put the matter behind them. Coach Liam Coen said this week, as Yahoo Sports reported, that the situation between the two sides appears resolved. He also said he couldn’t confirm whether Hunter ended up with the actual ball.
Jacksonville equipment manager George Pellicer jumped in during the original scuffle to help calm things down. Hunter’s interception capped a return from a torn LCL that ended his rookie year early, and the Jaguars rolled to a 35-6 win over the Patriots.
The game itself had more odd moments than just the sideline dustup. Trevor Lawrence also left fans puzzled with a strange decision near the goal line.
As for the video of the Hines-Allen incident, it still looks as bizarre on repeat. Multiple accounts of the clip say the ball boy shoved Hines-Allen first.
Hines-Allen then reached for the ball with a motion that looked like the punch defenders use to force fumbles as the staffer walked away. And through it all, the staffer kept possession.
Neither Hines-Allen nor the Jaguars has publicly addressed the claim that the employee worked for the Patriots. With new details surfacing so quickly this week, it probably won’t be the last word.
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