NFL

Adrian Peterson did not use funds from his charity to pay for a hotel room where an orgy allegedly took place ... and claims he's never taken money from his charity for his own personal use.

The Minneapolis Star-Tribune reported this week, Peterson was accused of using a credit card linked to his charity to pay for a hotel room in 2011 for himself, his brother, his uncle and four women.

But a rep for Peterson's foundation tells TMZ Sports ... Peterson has never used a foundation credit card for any personal expenses. In fact, the rep says Peterson never even had a foundation credit card.

The report specifically names Peterson's uncle as the one who used the credit card on a hotel room in 2011 ... but the foundation rep says the uncle never had a card either.

Vikings player Tom Johnson says cops left out a big part of the story surrounding his arrest -- which is that officers physically assaulted him before taking him into custody ... and he's now come forward with video.

Johnson was arrested early Sunday morning in Minneapolis ... after police say he refused to leave a nightclub. Johnson was pepper sprayed, and eventually tased before they arrested him.

But Johnson's reps say there was no reason for officers to tase him ... and they feel that's obvious from this video the Minnesota Vikings defensive tackle shot on his phone. In the clip ... Johnson is recording 2 officers as they leave the club, and he asks them, "Do you feel good about it?"

He's referring to the fact he had just been pepper sprayed. One cop responds, "Got your ID on you?"

Johnson's reps say right after that ... the cop "slapped Johnson's hand and arm knocking his cell phone to the ground and shattering the screen." They say the officer tased him when Johnson reached for the phone.

The police report says Johnson was tased because he was "uncooperative."

Aries Spears says he will NOT apologize for cracking a gay joke about Michael Sam on ESPN last week -- telling TMZ Sports, "There's nothing to apologize for. It's a joke."

Spears was at LAX Monday -- and acknowledged he ruffled some feathers when he appeared on "Sportsnation" and said, "I went out and got my first Michael Sam jersey. It's got 15 S's on the back."

"Disney runs [the network]," Spears told us ... "They got their guidelines."

But Spears was adamant that he did NOTHING wrong -- saying he likes Michael Sam ... wishes him well in the NFL ... and was just being funny, NOT malicious.

Ex-NFL superstar Larry Johnson -- once one of the highest paid players in the NFL -- was arrested in Miami Beach early Tuesday morning after allegedly attacking another man with a broken bottle.

The police report, obtained by TMZ Sports, reads like a scene out of a bad '80s fight movie -- where Johnson allegedly got pissed at another patron at the club inside the Delano Hotel for "taking drinks from his table."

The alleged victim told police Johnson punched him in the face, sending him to the ground ... and then "broke a bottle on the table and began swinging it toward him."

According to the police report, the victim told cops Johnson then punched him in the face a few more times while he was on the ground.

The victim was taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. According to police, at some point during Johnson's arrest, he told the officers he used to play for the Miami Dolphins.

Johnson last played in the NFL in 2011, but made his mark mostly as a member of the Kansas City Chiefs and still holds the record for most rushing attempts in a season.

A former Super Bowl champ is UNDER FIRE from parents in a youth football league -- who say the raging pep talks he gives the team are abusive ... but the ex-NFL star says it's just tough love.

The man at the center of the controversy is Seth Joyner -- a 3-time All Pro linebacker -- who now coaches an American Youth Football team in Tempe, AZ comprised of 12-year-olds.

We're told league officials were recently contacted after Joyner went ballistic on the kids during a recent game -- even dropping an F-bomb in an effort to get his team to play better.

TMZ Sports obtained footage of one of the rants ... Joyner is clearly fired up ... and at one point, threatened to "forfeit the f***king game." It's intense.

We spoke with a former coach who worked with Joyner -- who tells us the rant wasn't an isolated incident -- and his players are scared. "The kids are terrified of him. He routinely berates them. The guy is terrible."

But Joyner -- along with several parents -- sees it differently ... telling us he's "passionate" because he wants to get the best out of his players ... and believes he's getting results.

Though Joyner did admit he can sometimes cross the line -- "Do I lose control from time to time?

Joyner says he's spoken with several parents about his coaching methods -- and says "most are completely OK with it."

Arizona Cardinals running back Jonathan Dwyer has plead NOT GUILTY to charges -- stemming from allegations he beat the crap out of his wife and threw a shoe at his 17-month-old son.

As we previously reported, Dwyer was arrested on Sept. 17th ... after his wife told police the RB went ballistic on her back in July.

Dwyer's wife told cops he headbutted her in the face, threatened to kill her, punched her in the face with a closed fist ... and also fired the shoe at their child.

But Dwyer says it's all BS -- and moments ago, plead not guilty to felony aggravated assault and eight misdemeanors, including assault, criminal damage and disorderly conduct.

Minnesota Vikings defensive tackle Tom Johnson was TASED by cops at a Minneapolis nightclub ... BECAUSE PEPPER SPRAY DIDN'T STOP HIM ... this according a police report obtained by TMZ Sports.

Johnson was arrested early Sunday morning at Seven Steakhouse Sushi Ultralounge Skybar -- where he was allegedly causing trouble around 3AM.

According to the police report, Johnson was told to leave the building -- but refused ... so cops decided to break out the pepper spray.

But Johnson -- 6'3", 288 lbs -- wasn't fazed ... so cops broke out the stun gun.

He was eventually taken into custody and booked for disorderly conduct and trespassing.

Johnson posted $78 bail -- and was released later that day. He's due back in court on Oct. 17.

Two big victories for Dallas Cowboys stud Orlando Scandrick ... first, he beat the Texans -- and then, he GOT BACK TOGETHER WITH HIS EX!

Just two months after "Basketball Wives: LA" star Draya Michele kicked him to the curb, the two were back in each other's arms in Dallas this weekend.

Michele went to the game -- rooted for Orlando -- and even sat with his family members.

Afterward, she posted a pic on Instagram with the caption, "We might not HAVE IT ALL TOGETHER, but TOGETHER we HAVE IT ALL."

Back before the split in August, Draya had said the two were close to marriage.

He's like a young Peter Paul Rubens ... if PPR was accused of murdering a bunch of people ... because Aaron Hernandez is making a hobby out of drawing curvy naked women.

TMZ Sports has learned ... the former New England Patriots tight end has fired off another hand-written letter to a jail pen pal featuring a full frontal sketch of a nude woman.

In the letter, sent from his new home in Suffolk County Jail, the murder suspect also brags about his new digs:

"I'm on the block here lovin' it. I got my own cell too and n**ga. I'm out all day only lock in 4 [hours] a day ... So we be ballin'."

Aaron says he's also reading behind bars -- keeping himself busy with stories about a real gangster ... Harry Potter.

"You know, my realest n*gga I ever fucked with, I'm still fuckin' with -- Harry motha fuckin' Potter."

Of course, it's not the first letter Hernandez has sent from lockup ... back in December he fired off another nude lady sketch for a penpal. Though that one contained no Harry Potter references.

Cowboys QB Tony Romo still has the full support of "his people" in Texas ... so says one of the stars of "Dallas" Josh Henderson ... who says he's got a "good feeling" about this season.

Henderson -- who also starred as Nicollette Sheridan's nephew on "Desperate Housewives" -- was out in Hollywood this weekend ... and explained why he's standing by Romo ... even though the guy started off pretty bad.

Ex-Titans kicker Rob Bironas was hammered -- with a blood alcohol content njearly 3 times the legal limit -- the night he wrecked his SUV and died in Nashville.

The toxicology report shows Bironas' BAC was .218 when he died on September 20. Police released test results to his family today. The report also revealed he died from blunt force trauma ... and had a small amount of Diazepam (Valium) in his system.

Rob's wife, Rachel -- who is Terry Bradshaw's daughter -- told police Rob might have had one beer at home that night ... before he unexpectedly took off in his vehicle without telling her.

SF 49ers superstar Vernon Davis has SURVIVED ELIMINATION ... 'cause his superhero short film made it from the Final 20 to the Final 10 in HBO's "Project Greenlight" competition.

As we previously reported, Davis plays the title character in the comedy/action flick "Captain Torpedo" ... and if it WINS "Project Greenlight," the movie's director will get to helm a full-length Hollywood feature film.

The good news for Davis (an aspiring actor) -- the director LOVES him ... and if he wins, he's vowed to include Davis in the cast.

The competition started with hundreds of films ... it was narrowed to 200 ... then to 20 ... now it's at the final 10. And the winner will be announced in November.

Colin Kaepernick is coming out swingin' against allegations he knocked up self-proclaimed fitness model Brittany Renner ... and he's using a rap song to shoot down the claims.

The pregnancy talk started when Brittany went to her Instagram page and wrote that she was "preggers" by the SF 49ers quarterback.

Brittany and Colin reportedly hooked up back in July -- and she even posted pics to her Instagram appearing to show Colin hanging out at her place.

So when she posted the "preggers" thing -- people thought there could be some truth to it.

But clearly, Colin ain't buyin' it ... 'cause moments ago, he went to Instagram and posted the album cover for a rap song called "STOP LYIN'" ... and included the caption, "We just goin call this my anthem now! Keep trying."

He made no specific mention of Brittany -- but, c'mon ... doesn't take a rocket scientist to understand what he's talking about.

Seahawks QB Russell Wilson says he was a violent bully as a child -- and often beat up other kids BADLY -- but says he learned to curb his violent tendencies and says it's time other NFL stars did too.

Wilson just penned an article for ThePlayersTribune.com -- in an effort to address the domestic violence issues in the NFL.

In the article, Wilson writes:

"I used to beat people up. Truthfully, I used to beat people up a lot. Many of you readers probably think I have been Mr. Goody Two-Shoes my whole life, but honestly, I was a bully growing up. In elementary and middle school, I threw kids against the wall. I rubbed their heads in the dirt at recess. I bit them. I even knocked teeth out."

Long story short, Wilson says he found God and learned to confine his "aggressive behaviors" to the field. He's asking people to donate to the National Domestic Violence Hotline to support dom. violence victims across the country.

He concludes ...

NY Giants co-owner Steve Tisch is clearly not worried about the Ebola scare in Dallas -- telling us the G-Men have nothing to worry about when they head to Big D to play the Cowboys later this season.

Tisch was leaving Dan Tana's restaurant in West Hollywood last night when we brought up the efforts to contain the virus after officials confirmed that it had reached Dallas.

"I think the Cowboys are gonna get it first," Tisch joked ... clearly not worried about a possible "Outbreak" style epidemic.

Tisch then started down a path to crack a joke about Jerry Jones ... but stopped himself.

So we finished it.

Stop panicking.

Don't drop Tom Brady from your fantasy team.

Don't do it.

So says Dean Cain.