Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Drake London has been penalized by the NFL for his antics during his team’s Week Two comeback victory over the Philadelphia Eagles, leaving him with a significantly smaller wallet today.
Late in regulation, quarterback Kirk Cousins led a six-play scoring drive that ended with the game-tying touchdown pass to London. His enthusiasm was palpable, and he celebrated by mockingly shooting a weapon into the sky. He was promptly flagged for his actions, and the go-ahead extra point attempt was moved 15 yards back.
The league said today that London had been penalized a total of $14,069 for the celebration. Via Tom Pelissero:
Drake London regrets the celebration that led to his fine.
Following the triumph, London expressed sorrow for his gun-style celebration, noting that it made him appear insensitive to victims of gun violence around the world, something he did not mean to do.
“That type of celebration is currently popular in football,” London told ESPN. “This was my first ‘Monday Night Football’ game. I sort of lost myself in there. I wasn’t pleased with the situation I put my team in.”
“There’s a lot of stuff going around in the world with gun violence that I don’t think I should have displayed there,” London told the crowd. “So, I’m not too happy with it, and [you] probably won’t see that again from me.”
Earlier this week, the Falcons visited student-athletes from Apalachee High School, which is approximately 25 miles from downtown Atlanta. The school had been devastated by a tragic shooting in early September, which killed two students.
According to Falcons head coach Raheem Morris, Falcon had no bad intentions but recognizes that he made a mistake in judgment.
“(It) was a celebration that you don’t want to have happen because of the violence that goes on in our country that we’re very sensitive of,” said Morris. “But he had no ill will and no intention. And it is a mistake on all of our parts to have those things come out in light of what is going on in our country, and to not be sensitive to those issues, which we certainly are.
We hosted the school where the violence occurred, and we are quite sensitive to all of these issues and how they affect us. And we care.
London and the Falcons face the reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday night at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
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