CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Carolina Panthers running back Armond Smith was fined $15,000 by the NFL for kicking a Baltimore Ravens player in the groin during an Aug. 22 preseason game.
Smith was ejected for the kick that came after he was tackled by Baltimore's Albert McClellan in the fourth quarter. McClellan was on the ground when Smith used his right foot to strike the linebacker between the legs.
"I think he thought I was holding him down," McClellan said at the time. "Our legs got tangled up. He hopped up and kicked me. I did my best to keep my cool."
"He told me, 'Coach, he twisted on me,'" Panthers coach Ron Rivera said after the game. "And that's unfortunate because that's not the type of character that he is. He's disappointed, and he's very apologetic. And I know the league will have something to say about it.
"But just knowing who Armond is, that's a tough one for him to swallow because that's not his character. And that was most certainly out of his character."
