Shane Vereen says he was unaware of any deflated footballs

Shane Vereen, now with the New York Giants, is the latest NFL player to come to Tom Brady's defense. The former Patriots running back told The New York Daily News that the footballs he touched felt no different than they normally would have.

“I had no awareness of anything that was going on,” Vereen told the Daily News on Wednesday. “I looked up to Tom. I still do. I think he’s a great player. I have the utmost respect for him as a player and as a person. I guess everything will sort itself out.”

Vereen's words are noteworthy due to the fact that he is now a former teammate of Brady, could have said literally anything negative he wanted and people would believe it. But he chose not to go the Darrelle Revis route.

Additionally, Vereen has said that players he's talked to believe the punishment against Brady was harsh, which isn't a surprise. Vereen also thinks no matter what the outcome of Brady's appeal hearing is, Deflategate will not taint the quarterback's legacy.

Vereen said from the players he speaks to around the league they believe the punishment was harsh. “Personally, I don’t think it hurts his legacy at all,” he said.

“Regardless of the outcome, he’s still a fantastic, great quarterback. He deserves the accolades that he’s earned. We’ll see how it all plays out. There is a long way to go with the whole situation.”

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