Spoon docked $7500 in pay

***RamWraith*** · -09-29-2006

Panthers' Wallace fined $7,500 for hit on Simms
ESPN.com news services

Carolina Panthers defensive end Al Wallace was fined $7,500 for his slam of Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Chris Simms last Sunday.

The Bucs, though they have no proof, believe that hit -- deemed unnecessary roughness -- might have been part of the reason Simms injured his spleen. Asked if the league was contending this was the hit that resulted in Simms' ruptured spleen, an NFL spokesman told ESPN's Chris Mortensen, "absolutely not," that it was clear Simms had been injured prior to the fourth-quarter hit.

The NFL said Wallace violated a rule that says players cannot "unnecessarily or violently throw a down and land on top of him with all the defender's weight."

Buccaneers coach Jon Gruden said he felt Wallace should have been called for roughing the passer.

Wallace told reporters he was concerned when he learned Simms had been rushed to the hospital after the game.

"I was kind of physically sick," Wallace said. "I think anybody that knows my personality, none of us want to go out there and do any damage to anybody. A lot of guys believe it not, are a lot different off the field and I'd like to believe that I'm a compassionate guy. I don't want to jeopardize anybody's health that way."

Also from that game, Buccaneers cornerback Will Allen was been fined $5,000 for taunting.

Other fines levied from Week 3: Rams middle linebacker Will Witherspoon was docked $7,500 for a helmet-to-helmet hit on Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner.

Arizona Cardinals cornerback Antrel Rolle was fined $5,000 for a horse collar tackle on Seattle Seahawks halfback Shaun Alexander. Alexander thinks that is the injury that might have caused the fracture in his left foot.

Information from ESPN.com's John Clayton, ESPN's Chris Mortensen and The Associated Press was used in this report.