Giants center Richburg 1st NFL player ejected under new rule
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) - New York Giants center Weston Richburg became the first NFL player ejected under a new rule after drawing two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties Sunday in a 29-27 loss to Washington.
Under the rule that, coincidentally, derives from incidents last season involving Richburg's Giants teammate Odell Beckham Jr., a player can be thrown out of a game for committing two such fouls. Richburg got one in the second quarter, then drew another early in the fourth period when he blocked Redskins cornerback Josh Norman and then taunted him on a pass play.
It was Norman, then with Carolina, against whom Beckham committed three personal fouls last December. Beckham wound up being suspended for New York's next game. The rule, backed by Commissioner Roger Goodell, was implemented in the offseason.
Richburg was ejected in a 2010 game for fighting as his Colorado State team defeated Idaho 36-24.
"I let my teammates down," Richburg said. "I have to be a presence in there and be a leader and I let my team down.
"They were probably trying to cut down on things because of what happened with that matchup," he added of Norman vs. Beckham. "But it is on me. I can't control how many flags they want to throw. I have to be a leader and be in there for my team.
"I can't say anything about the call. Those are circumstances that I can't control."
___
AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL