Houston Texans defensive end Antonio Smith has revealed that he is "disappointed" in himself for reacting angrily towards Miami Dolphins guard Richie Incognito during a pre-season match.
Incognito appeared to grab the face mask of Smith, prompting Smith to rip the opposition player's helmet off and swing it towards him.
Smith claimed that Incognito threw a punch at him first but acknowledged that he shouldn't have allowed himself to be wound up by the opposing player.
"In general, I feel disappointed, disappointed in myself that I was able to let him get to me in the way that he did that frustrated me, when knowing that that's his whole game, that's what he bases his skill level off of, and I let him take me down a road that led me into that path," Smith told KRIV-TV.
"Initially, I was full of frustration. I swung the helmet, but I didn't swing the helmet to hit Richie Incognito. If I was going to swing the helmet to hit Richie Incognito, it wouldn't have been hard. He's right there close. You can see how low the helmet was and how tight I brought it to my body.
"It was a deliberate punch to my face. You see how far my head went back. It was a deliberate grab of my face mask, the twisting and the jerking of it and then one last punch at the end."
Smith has been handed a three-match ban for his actions, but has signalled his intent to appeal the penalty.
