Former New Orleans Saints special teams star Steve Gleason explicitly says he did not authorize the release of any recordings made by Sean Pamphilon, and thus he did not authorize Thursday's release of Gregg Williams' speech prior to a Saints' playoff game against the San Francisco 49ers.
In the profanity-laced audio Williams can be heard instructing his players to target specific 49ers and to inflict harm on several players, including quarterback Alex Smith, running back Frank Gore and wide receivers Michael Crabtree and Kyle Williams.
"Sean Pamphilon and I have an agreement that all recordings ultimately belong to me and my family," Gleason wrote in a statement obtained by NFL.com's Steve Wyche. "Nothing can be released without my explicit approval. I did not authorize the public release of any recordings."
Pamphilon recorded the audio while working on a film about Gleason, who suffers from Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and hasn't played in the NFL since 2006.
"In the spring of 2011, Sean Pamphilon approached me, and we agreed to collaborate to further document my family's journey," Gleason said. "I have a unique relationship with the Saints and the City of New Orleans. The Saints have been incredibly open and supportive of me and my family during my disease progression. From my perspective, the Saints have helped begin to shift the paradigm of how an NFL team should treat its players after retirement. Since my retirement, and specifically this year, the Saints have opened their doors and included me in countless team functions. I included Sean Pamphilon in some of these activities, because I felt my relationship with the Saints was an integral part of my overall journey. The Saints trusted me and gave us unlimited access in filming, and I, in turn, trusted Sean Pamphilon."
Pamphilon released a statement to The Times-Picayune on Thursday, in which he explained how the serious nature of the Saints' "bounty" scandal prompted him to release the audio.
"If this story hadn't broken and been made public, I would not have shared this," wrote Pamphilon, who didn't explain why he chose to release the audio just hours before the Saints' appeals of their "bounty"-related punishments. "I would not have compromised my personal relationships and risked damaging Steve Gleason's relationship with the Saints. I would have crafted these words and sentiments for another forum, perhaps years down the road."
Pamphilon declined NFL.com and NFL Network's request for an interview Thursday.
