Tom Brady: 'I didn't alter the ball in any way'

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Patriots quarterback Tom Brady says he didn’t touch or think about the footballs used to get his team into the Super Bowl after he picked out the ones he wanted to throw.

Brady said Thursday that he didn’t know how New England ended up using underinflated balls in its win Sunday against the Colts in the AFC Championship game.

Brady says he doesn’t know the protocol for handling game balls after he chooses them a few hours before game time.

Like his coach Bill Belichick said a few hours earlier, Brady said he learned about the issue the morning after the game.

Brady says he has not been contacted by the NFL as the league investigates whether the team cheated.

Brady says the issue is one thing the team has to deal with as it prepares to play the Seahawks for the NFL title on Feb. 1.