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Azeez Al-Shaair is the NFL'sfavorite villain of Week 13. Following his controversial hit on Trevor Lawrence, the Texans linebacker has faced an onslaught of criticism. But, amid the storm, the player took to social media to send a sincere apology to the Jaguars quarterback.
The game between the Houston Texans and the Jacksonville Jaguars was one of the most eventful of Week 13 in the NFL. Al-Shaair's controversial hit on Lawrence has been scrutinized from every angle, with analysts and fans blasting the defender for the way he punished his opponent.
Far from hiding after the incident, Al-Shaair not only came out against the criticism by apologizing to Lawrence, but he responded strongly to all those who attacked him personally for something that, he said, was just part of the competition.
Al-Shaair's apology
In a long post on his X (formerly Twitter) , Al-Shaair began by saying that he always plays with all his strength, but he never intends to hurt his opponent. "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."
He stressed, "And when the game is over go home to your family unharmed because it's not personal it's just competition!" The linebacker recalled that before the game he had a brief chat with Lawrence, in which he congratulated him for returning to the field after an injury that kept him away for the last few weeks.
He reiterated that it was never his intention to hurtLawrence. "I would never want to see any player hurt because of a hit I put on them, especially one that's deemed 'late' or 'unnecessary,'" Al-Shaair said. He also said he understands the way the Jaguars reacted after the incident, which led to a pitched battle.
His response to personal attacks
Finally, Al-Shaair responded to the people who have insulted him, "from reporters with their hands ready for a story to find their villain, to racist and Islamophobic fans." To them, the player said, "You don't know my heart nor my character which I don't need to prove to any of you."
Lawrence is still going through the NFL's concussion protocol. The league, for its part, has not commented on the incident, although Al-Shaair is expected to receive a severe punishment for the hit. The public apology is a sign of the player's character, but that will not exempt him from the consequences of his actions.