Dre Bly's interception-turned-embarrassing fumble was the iconic moment of today's 45-10 shellacking. But Bly was decidedly unapologetic afterwards and he insisted he had the ball tucked safely away. "I was getting ready to try to cut back on the quarterback and that's when dude stripped me," he said.
Told that the replay showed him doing a Deion-like celebration at the San Francisco 45, Bly said this: "I had did that when I caught the ball. I'm going to be me. ... I like to have fun when I play the game. When I made plays I've made a lot, I express myself. But I had the ball tucked and he got the ball. That was a great play on Rodney (Roddy White)."
Did you know he was behind you? "I didn't know where he was. I knew I had to get on my horse. I didn't know he was that close to me. I mean, when he stripped the ball from me, it wasn't like I had the ball up here (indicating holding ball out). I had the ball here (indicating holding the ball tightly). The ball came out as I was coming to the ground. If the ball was out when he hit my hand, it would have come up. I made a lot of plays in this league, I have fun when I play and that's who I've been. I mean I fumbled the football, I'm mad that I did, but I'm not going to beat myself up. Just got to move on and get ready for next week."
Has Singletary said anything to him about the play? "He just said, 'High and tight.' You know, we work on fumbling drills in practice, tucking the football, causing fumbles. I fumbled the football. You know I'm predominantly ... I throw the football left handed and when I run with the football, when I return punts, I always keep it in my left hand, so, probably the better thing for me was to have it in my right hand. But dude made a great play. Have to give him credit. He was able to cause a fumble and the ball came out."
Pressed on the celebration, Bly said this: "Like I say, I'm going to be me. That's who I've been my whole life, that's who I was in college. I have fun. Dre's gonna be Dre."
-- Matt Barrows
About Comments
Reader comments on Sacbee.com are the opinions of the writer, not The Sacramento Bee. If you see an objectionable comment, click the "report abuse" button below it. We will delete comments containing inappropriate links, obscenities, hate speech, and personal attacks. Flagrant or repeat violators will be banned. See more about comments here.