NFL

Tom Brady took a shot at Samsung while defending himself in the Deflategate scandal -- claiming he didn't randomly destroy his cell phone ... but junked it because it was broken .. in exchange for an iPhone!

After the NFL issued a statement claiming Brady was more than suspicious when he 86'd his phone on the same day he was supposed to meet with investigators, TB finally fired back.

"I also disagree with yesterdays narrative surrounding my cellphone. I replaced my broken Samsung phone with a new iPhone 6 AFTER my attorneys made it clear to the NFL that my actual phone device would not be subjected to investigation under ANY circumstances."

"To try and reconcile the record and fully cooperate with the investigation after I was disciplined in May, we turned over detailed pages of cell phone records and all of the emails that Mr. Wells requested."

"We even contacted the phone company to see if there was any possible way we could retrieve any/all of the actual text messages from my old phone. In short, we exhausted every possibility to give the NFL everything we could and offered to go thru the identity for every text and phone call during the relevant time."

"Regardless, the NFL knows that Mr. Wells already had ALL relevant communications with Patriots personnel that either Mr. Wells saw or that I was questioned about in my appeal hearing. There is no 'smoking gun' and this controversy is manufactured to distract from the fact they have zero evidence of wrongdoing."

Tom Brady told the NFL he could not submit his cell phone as evidence in the Deflategate investigation because he destroyed it ... this according to the NFL.

Jen Welter -- the NFL's 1st female coach -- is NO JOKE ... so says Tim Brown who tells us she's a BEAST on the field who took a vicious shot in a men's football game -- AND GOT UP!!!

Before she signed on as a coach with the AZ Cardinals, Welter made history as the 1st female to play a non-kicking position in a men's pro league.

The team she played for was the Texas Revolution of the Indoor Football League -- and NFL Hall of Famer Tim Brown is the team's general manager.

Brown says he's not only a HUGE fan of Jen -- but says he can vouch first hand that she's one of the toughest people he's ever seen play.

"She’s tough as nails," Brown said ... "She took one of the most vicious hits I’ve ever seen and jumped right up."

The hit in question was when she lined up at RB during a game in a goal line situation -- and got blasted. But check the video, she pops up like a friggin' champion!

"It was amazing to see her at 5’2" jumping in the faces of these 6’5" ball players."

As far as a coaching career goes, Brown says, "She’ll be successful. She’s very passionate about the game and KNOWS what she’s talking about."

"She’d have to get more experience to be the first female head coach in the history of the league, but she’s a very educated lady and more opportunities will definitely be coming her way."

Terrell Owens is pissed that Junior Seau's family won't be able to speak live at the NFL legend's Hall of Fame induction ceremony ... saying the whole thing is "terrible."

Seau is set to be posthumously enshrined in Canton in August -- and while the family will be able to make a video message to be played during the ceremony, they're pissed ... claiming they should be able to give a live speech.

And when we saw Owens over the weekend -- T.O. told TMZ Sports, he very strongly agrees with Seau's family.

"It's a time to recognize this guy and his accomplishments. If it wasn't for his family, there wouldn't be no Junior Seau. I think it's terrible if you ask me."

LeSean McCoy will not be denied access to smoking hot chicks -- even though the Buffalo Bills are crapping on his "females only" party -- he found plenty of hot chicks on the Vegas Strip.

'Shady' looked like the main attraction while partying last week at Encore Beach. We just got these pics of him hanging out shirtless and posing with every bikini babe within arms reach.

The Bills new RB got in hot water with team officials on Thursday for using the Bills logo on an Instagram invite to a party -- strictly for chicks. The party was scheduled for Sunday night, but it's unclear if it's still a go.

Former NFL star Thomas Jones definitely has muscle ... but now he's going to be muscle ... playing one of Suge Knight's bodyguard's in the new NWA biopic "Straight Outta Compton."

Jones ... who's been doing a lot of acting now that his playing days are over ... was out in Hollywood when we asked him about his blossoming new career.

TJ tells us he has a role in one of the biggest movies of the summer. We had to do some extra digging to find out who he plays -- a member of Suge Knight's pre-Death Row records entourage.

FYI -- Thomas has another movie "Runaway Island" premiering on TV this weekend ... we're guessing it'll have a lower body count.

Tony Romo knows how to apologize ... FaceTime and free booze -- that's how the NFL star made good with 200 fans who got screwed out of an event he was supposed to host.

TMZ Sports found out Romo rented a fancy Las Vegas lounge to throw a party for people who bought tickets to what was supposed to be his fantasy football convention. As we reported ... the event was cancelled when the NFL said Tony hosting in a casino would be a violation of league rules.

So, the Cowboys QB called an audible -- inviting ticket holders to Fizz champagne lounge in Caesar's Palace. Besides a free drink, they got an autographed Romo poster -- AND Tony himself FaceTimed in for a quick chat.

Even Giants fans would have to admit ... pretty cool of Tony. But they probably wouldn't.

Reggie Bush has normal people problems -- the price of gas is absolutely crushing his new 49ers contract ... every time he has to refuel his feakin' Rolls-Royce. Yeah, don't feel too bad for him.

Reggie was gassing up his sick Rolls in Brentwood ... and our photog gave him some dap on the new baby he and his wife just had -- but he was totally distracted by the pillaging going on at the pump.

Check out the hit his wallet took. It'll make you feel better about your Prius ... for a while.

Then you'll quickly go back to wishing you had a Rolls.

But, soft! What light through yonder window breaks? It is former NFL star Eddie George ... performing Shakespeare in the streets ... for a TMZ Sports camera guy.

George ... who's been doing Shakespeare for years now ... was out at Mr. Chow in Beverly Hills when our camera guy asked if he could rattle off a few lines from one of his favorite Billy Shakes plays.

Check out the clip -- Eddie doesn't miss a beat diving into one of his favorite passages from "Othello" ... and we got to say ... dude is pretty good.

Tennessee Titans WR Justin Hunter fights like a bitch ... sucker punching a man outside a Virginia bar in a ferocious attack ... this according to prosecutors.

Hunter just appeared in court in Virginia Beach ... where his mother was inside the courtroom crying ... as Justin faced charges he assaulted a man at Sandbar Raw Bar on July 3rd.

Prosecutors say Hunter and his friends approached another group of guys they didn't know and began arguing ... and at some point during the argument, Hunter began throwing punches.

The victim, prosecutors say, fell to the ground ... and Hunter and his pals continued to beat and kick the man.

Officials say the man eventually got up and left the bar -- and was outside spitting up blood -- when Hunter got out of a Range Rover and sucker punched him while he was hunched over.

The victim claims he was hospitalized for 2 days -- with a broken jaw, cracked tooth ... and also had a tooth knocked out.

Tennessee Titans wide receiver Justin Hunter was arrested in Virginia today ... after allegedly beating up someone in a crazy bar fight earlier this month.

Cops say Hunter was involved in a brawl at the Sandbar Raw Bar in Virginia Beach on July 3rd -- where a victim was transported to a hospital to treat the injuries.

Hunter surrendered to authorities on Monday and was charged with felonious assault. He's being held at Virginia Beach City Jail.

The 24-year-old is set to be arraigned tomorrow.

Donald Trump just got some praise from a very powerful man -- Patriots owner Robert Kraft ... who hailed Donald as a financial wizard ... even if he turned down a chance to buy the Pats in the '80s.

There are reports Trump had a shot to buy New England in 1988 for somewhere in the neighborhood of $100 million ... but passed 'cause he didn't think it was worth it.

Kraft bought the team in '94 for $172 mil -- and now they're reportedly valued at $2.6 BILLION!!

So, when Kraft was leaving Craig's in West Hollywood last night, we asked about the Trump story -- to which he replied, "Donald Trump's a very good investor. I wouldn't question anything he does."

We thought we could sense some sarcasm in the statement -- but it turns out, Kraft and Trump have been good friends for 20 years ... so, maybe a serious compliment?

Did you know ... J.J. Watt was on an MTV reality-ish show before he became an NFL superstar????

His former college teammates did ... including SF 49ers cornerback Marcus Cromartie who tells TMZ Sports the entire Wisconsin Badgers squad gave him crap for it back in 2009.

First off, Cromartie has nothing but GREAT things to say about Watt -- but when we asked if he thought Watt could hack it in Hollywood, that's when Marcus brought up his MTV past.

Turns out, Watt had a guest role on a docuseries called, "College Life" -- which followed real life college students at UW (it only lasted one season).

J.J. -- sporting an incredible sideways beanie/cap at the time -- was the "crush" of one of the stars ... who raved about Watt being a really nice guy.

Check out the clip ... the girls are clearly smitten with the football player -- but clown him over his mode of transportation at the time.

Who's laughing now?

The 21-year-old son of Buffalo Bills line coach Aaron Kromer has been charged with battery for his alleged role in a beach attack of 3 underage boys ... TMZ Sports has learned.

Officials in Walton County, Florida tell us ... Zach Kromer was hit with charges this afternoon. Zach is accused of confronting the boys with his father in a heated altercation over beach chairs.

FYI -- Zach is 6'2" and 170 lbs ... according to the police report.

Aaron allegedly punched one of the boys in the face. Officials clearly believe Zach also got physical during the incident.

A rep for the Walton County Sheriff's Office says the State Attorney is also considering charging Aaron with child abuse.

Donovan McNabb's DUI arrest just got extreme -- because cops say his blood alcohol level was more than TWICE the legal limit when he was arrested ... TMZ Sports has learned.

As we previously reported, the former NFL superstar was popped in Arizona on June 28 after crashing into another car on the way home from a sports bar.

McNabb INSISTED he had nothing to drink that night -- claiming he had just had some cough medicine to fight a cold.

But the officials tell TMZ Sports .... the results from McNabb's blood test are in -- and he registered a .17 ... more than DOUBLE the legal limit, .08.

Interesting cameo in that viral video of the bully who was forced to get into a boxing ring after picking on kids at school -- ex-NFL star Willie McGinest was there egging on the action.

The video has roughly 3 MILLION views ... and the family has been praised for teaching the kid an impactful lesson in humility after learning he had picked on a fellow classmate.

But we noticed that while the kid was getting his face blown up by more experienced boxers at the Jack Rabbit Fitness gym in Long Beach, Willie was there ... taking part in the tough love.

You can hear Willie shouting at the kid, "C'mon tough guy!" over and over ... while recording the beatdown on his phone.

FYI -- we're told the kid has trained at the gym before ... and the boxers he was fighting weren't pros, just more experienced. His family wanted to show him that being picked on by someone who's bigger and stronger sucks.

By the way, lesson learned.

We're told Willie insists he just happened to be in the gym that day ... and had no role in organizing the event.