NFL: Brandon Bostick Says He Has Received Numerous Death Threats Since Fumble In NFC Championship Game

Former Green Bay Packers tight end Brandon Bostick said he received death threats after he botched the onside kick recovery in the NFC Championship Game against the Seattle Seahawks and that a former NFL player who went through something similar has helped him deal with it.

“I knew it was a key mistake that cost us a trip to the Super Bowl,” Bostick wrote in a first-person account for The MMQB website. “But, with all due respect, I think the media kind of took it and ran with it. I became the singular scapegoat. Social media didn’t help, either.

“I don’t know how many death threats I received, but there have been a lot. I still haven’t read most of the messages that people sent me, but I want to so I can deal with the consequences and use it as motivation. But it is physically impossible for me to read every troll’s comment; the volume is simply too much. So their comments sit there, untouched, maybe forever.”

Bostick, a seldom-used backup, was supposed to block on the play to allow sure-handed receiver Jordy Nelson to recover the kickoff that would’ve given the Packers possession with a 19-14 lead and just over two minutes remaining. Instead, Bostick tried to catch the ball, and the Seahawks recovered en route to a 28-22 overtime victory on Jan. 18.

For the record, the PACKERS lost that game, not Bostick. The entire Green Bay team choked, more so the offense, and they started playing not to lose, instead of playing to win, once they were in command going into halftime.

Some fans need to get a life outside of being a fan so they don’t get so damn emotional and reckless.

“I feel as if there’s a little more to it than that. With how close we were to reaching the Super Bowl, I think a lot of people in the organization couldn’t live with me being there. I think seeing me would remind them of losing the NFC championship. I think the Packers wanted a new start, so I got one, too.”

Still, Bostick said not a day goes by that he doesn’t think about the play.

“Even though I will think about it every day, I hope one day I will be remembered for something else,” Bostick wrote. “I do know this: If I ever get another chance to play in a conference championship game, no matter what uniform I’m wearing, I will take a moment to apologize to my teammates on the 2014 Packers.

“I sincerely wish I didn’t jump up for that ball. I wish we were celebrating a Super Bowl right now.”

Joe Casey @IamJoeSports