Tennessee Titans running back Jackie Battle has become the first victim of the NFL's new rule that prohibits ball carriers from leading with their helmets.
Battle delivered a blow to Houston safety Danieal Manning during overtime of Sunday's loss to the Texans, and he was surprised to receive a fine.
"It completely surprised me," Battle told The Midday 180 in Nashville of being informed by the NFL. "I'm a power back. I've been running like this my whole career. So yeah, it completely caught me off guard. Total surprise."
Even though Battle's wallet is a little lighter today, that doesn't mean he is going to change the way he plays the game going forward.
"I'm definitely not going to change the way I play the game," Battle said. "I don't intentionally try to hurt anybody. I'm still going to run the ball strong, physical, the way I've done my whole career. ... If I wouldn't have gotten as low as he did, he would have potentially hit me in the knees coming full speed. So in a way, I'm kind of protecting myself. It's either me or him."