Filmmaker Sean Pamphilon told Yahoo! Sports on Sunday that the NFL has asked for his audio recording of former New Orleans Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams urging his players to target opponents before a playoff game last season.
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Pamphilon told the website that the league called him "four times on Friday" asking for the audio. He said he expects the tapes to be subpoenaed.
The NFL indefinitely suspended Williams, now the St. Louis Rams' defensive coordinator, for operating a bounty program that rewarded Saints players for big hits on opponents. Saints coach Sean Payton was suspended for the entire 2012 season and will be replaced on an interim basis by assistant Joe Vitt, who must serve his own six-game ban once the season starts.
Pamphilon previously said he was within his rights to release audio of a pregame speech by Williams encouraging his players to injure opponents, claiming he hadn't violated his agreement with former Saints special-teams stalwart Steve Gleason. Pamphilon said his agreement with Gleason, the subject of his upcoming documentary, doesn't prohibit either party from releasing audio or video before the project's completion.
The subject of the tapes includes a profanity-laced speech, a portion of which Pamphilon recorded, where Williams urges Saints players to inflict harm on several San Francisco 49ers, including quarterback Alex Smith, running back Frank Gore, and wide receivers Michael Crabtree and Kyle Williams.
"At one point, Williams says, 'We hit (expletive) Smith right there' -- then he points under his chin (and continues) -- 'remember me,'Â " Pamphilon told Yahoo! Sports. "Then he rubs his thumb against his index and middle fingers -- the cash sign -- and says, 'I got the first one. I got the first one. Go get it. Go lay that (expletive) out.'Â "
