Houston Texans wide receiver Nico Collins scored a touchdown against the Tennessee Titans in his most recent home game and tossed the ball to a child in the stands pleading for it.
On Thursday, Collins told reporters the NFL did not approve and assessed him a fine of about $5,000.
“It’s for the kids,” Collins said. “I seen he was screaming and was thinking, ‘Here you go, big dog. Here’s the ball.'”
Collins said he was not penalized last season on the handful of occasions he threw a ball into the stands, so he wasn’t expecting a fine. But making a child’s day was “definitely worth it.”
The 25-year-old said he plans to appeal the fine, but if it isn’t overturned, he’ll pay up.
“The only thing that matters was making that kid happy,” he said. “He ain’t never going to forget that moment. So that’s all that matters to me.”
Collins followed up a 92-yard, one-touchdown performance that day against Tennessee with eight receptions for 119 yards last week at Jacksonville.
The fourth-year wideout is Houston’s leading receiver despite missing five games due to a hamstring injury. He has caught 49 passes for 832 yards and four touchdowns in just eight appearances.
–Field Level Media
