CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The NFL vice president of officiating says that referee Ed Hochuli insists he never told Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton that he "wasn't old enough" to get a personal foul call during Sunday's game against the New Orleans Saints.
"Ed was adamant that he did not say that," Dean Blandino told the NFL Network on Monday. "He told me that he said (to Newton) that 'the difference is you were running.' I think when you look at the tape it does look like Ed did say (the difference is you were running). I think that's where we are right now and we're just going to kind of move on from there."
Newton called out the veteran referee after Carolina's 27-22 win after he felt a personal foul should have been called on Saints defensive tackle Tyeler Davison for hitting him out of bounds after he released a pass.
TV replays show Newton having a brief conversation with Hochuli after the play, and the quarterback reacted at one point with surprise, stopping in his tracks before breaking into a wide, disbelieving smile.
"The response that I got was, 'Cam, you're not old enough to get that call,'" Newton said at his postgame press conference Sunday. "I was looking at him like, 'I didn't think that you had to have seniority to get a personal foul or anything like that.' ... Heaven forbid he gets any rookies. They are going to have a long day man."
Blandino declined an interview with The Associated Press through the NFL office, citing a busy schedule. NFL game officials such as Hochuli aren't allowed to conduct interviews during the season, per league rules.
Blandino told the NFL Network if it is found that Hochuli did tell Newton he "wasn't old enough" to get calls, he could be reprimanded.
2015 The Associated Press
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