Chase Winovich has no regrets over his touchdown celebration
Even if he never got the ball back and will be fined.
Patriots defensive end Chase Winovich has no regrets over his celebration following his first career NFL touchdown — even if it’s going to cost him.
“I didn’t know the fine was quite so steep,” he said, smiling.
Winovich, who was drafted 77th overall in April, hurled the football into the stands Thursday night after he returned a blocked punt into the end zone. Giants punter Riley Dixon’s kick struck teammate Nate Stupar, ricocheting into the air and ending up in the arms of Winovich. The rookie ran six yards for the first score of the game — and his first since high school.
“That was a big spark,” coach Bill Belichick said after his team’s 35-14 victory.
The decision to chuck the ball about two dozen or so rows into the crowd earned Winovich a $7,017 penalty, the standard amount for a player’s first offense. The 24-year-old didn’t end up getting the ball back, though he seemed content with holding onto just the memory.
“Honestly for me, it’s mostly the experience of scoring the touchdown,” he said. “That’s priceless. A football is a football. Yeah, it’s cool to look back on it, but I have the film to look back on it. The memory with my teammates, celebrating in the end zone, that’s priceless. There’s no football that can equate to that.”
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