DeAngelo Hall denies slapping Adrian Peterson

DeAngelo Hall (John McDonnell/The Washington Post)

Washington Redskins cornerback DeAngelo Hall said Monday he did not slap Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson in the face on a first-quarter tackle during Sunday’s game at FedEx Field, as Peterson accused Hall of doing.

“I have no idea what he’s talking about,” Hall said in a conference call with reporters. “You guys can watch the film. You’ve watched the film. Once you heard it, you were probably like, ‘Huh? What’s he talking about?’ I think you all know me. So if anything would happen involving me, I think all you guys would have been jumping on that story right after the game. So for it to be brought up a day later and talking about I slapped him in the face, that’s just asinine.”

Peterson and Hall exchanged words after Hall tackled Peterson for a one-yard gain during the Redskins’ 38-26 victory. Peterson told reporters after the game that Hall had gotten “caught up in his emotions” and slapped him in the face at the end of the tackle.

“I think the play he’s talking about was the play I actually went up on him, make a tackle and my helmet kind of pops off,” Hall said Monday. “The momentum of me going to hit him, I kind of push right off. Right after I made the tackle, I push right off—I don’t know if it’s him or the ground. And that’s the only contact I had with him. And after the play, he actually said to me, ‘That’s a good play, D-Hall. That’s a good play.’

“That’s why, had he really been talking trash to me face to face, me talking trash, I think you guys know my reaction would have been a little different than what it was. If you watch the TV copy or even the sideline copy of that game, once I make the play and my helmet pops off, we’re face to face but I don’t say a word. I just kind of nod my head. That’s kind of the gist of that story.”