--- description: It was reported on Wednesday that the 12 footballs were properly inspected and approved by referee Walt Anderson prior to kickoff title: Tom Brady on Deflategate: 'I Didn't Alter the Balls in Any Way' image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltd4d90200b1227bd5/69877b6fa988ca2a646ac0d3/brady.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Sports](/section/sports/) ## Sports Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Football](/tag/football/) ## Football Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Tom Brady on Deflategate: 'I Didn't Alter the Balls in Any Way' by [Sports Illustrated](/author/sports-illustrated/) ## Sports Illustrated Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jan 22, 2015 10:16 PM CUT  New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady talks to the media at Gillette Stadium on Jan. 22, 2015. New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady talks to the media at Gillette Stadium on Jan. 22, 2015.Greg M. Cooper—USA Today Sports by [Sports Illustrated](/author/sports-illustrated/) ## Sports Illustrated Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jan 22, 2015 10:16 PM CUT New England [Patriots](http://www.si.com/nfl/team/new-england-patriots "undefined") quarterback [Tom Brady](http://www.si.com/nfl/player/tom-brady "undefined") denied altering the air pressure of the balls used in Sunday’s AFC Championship Game against the Indianapolis Colts. “I didn’t alter the balls in any way,” he said in a press conference on Thursday. Brady added that he has a “process” he goes through before games where he chooses which balls he wants to use in the game. After choosing the balls, “I don’t want anyone touching them,” he said. “I would never have someone do something that was outside the rules,” Brady added. After the Patriots defeated the [Colts](http://www.si.com/nfl/team/indianapolis-colts "undefined"), New England was accused of playing with balls that were inflated below league requirements. Subsequent investigations found that 11 of the Patriots’ 12 footballs [were, in fact, under-inflated](http://www.si.com/nfl/2015/01/20/new-england-patriots-deflated-footballs-nfl-investigation "undefined") by two pounds of air (psi), based on league regulations, [sparking reaction all across the NFL](http://www.si.com/nfl/2015/01/21/deflategate-new-england-patriots-nfl-players-react-twitter "undefined"). It was later revealed that the 12th football was also under-inflated, but by less than two psi. It was reported on Wednesday that the 12 footballs were [properly inspected](http://www.si.com/nfl/2015/01/21/report-afc-championship-footballs-inspected-referee-2-hours-kickoff "undefined") and approved by referee Walt Anderson prior to kickoff. On Thursday, Patriots coach Bill Belichick said [he was shocked to hear](http://www.si.com/nfl/2015/01/22/new-england-patriots-deflategate-bill-belichick "undefined") about the Deflategate controversy and had no explanation for the under-inflated footballs. On Monday morning, Brady [said](http://www.si.com/nfl/2015/01/19/new-england-patriots-tom-brady-deflated-ball-allegations "undefined") he had no idea what the controversy was about, and that the under-inflated footballs were the “last of \[his\] worries.” The Patriots will play the Seattle [Seahawks](http://www.si.com/nfl/team/seattle-seahawks "undefined") in Super Bowl XLIX on Sunday, Feb. 1\. at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz. _This_ [_article_](http://www.si.com/nfl/2015/01/22/new-england-patriots-deflategate-tom-brady "undefined") _originally appeared on_ [_SI.com_](http://www.si.com "undefined")_._ ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3679298/brady-deflategate-footballs-patriots/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3679298/brady-deflategate-footballs-patriots/"},"headline":"Tom Brady on Deflategate: 'I Didn't Alter the Balls in Any Way'","datePublished":"2015-01-22T22:16:10.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-22T03:48:51.913Z","description":"\"I would never have someone do something that was outside the rules\"","url":"https://time.com/3679298/brady-deflategate-footballs-patriots/","keywords":["Football","NFL","New England Patriots","Tom Brady","deflategate"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltd4d90200b1227bd5/69877b6fa988ca2a646ac0d3/brady.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Sports Illustrated","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/sports-illustrated/"}],"articleSection":"Sports","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltd4d90200b1227bd5/69877b6fa988ca2a646ac0d3/brady.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady talks to the media at Gillette Stadium on Jan. 22, 2015.","caption":"New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady talks to the media at Gillette Stadium on Jan. 22, 2015.","creditText":"Greg M. 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