Giants’ Jihad Ward explains why he shoved Aaron Rodgers, leading to trash-talking altercation that was featured on HBO’s Hard Knocks

NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
And now for the rest of the story.
HBO’s Hard Knocks captured the moment early in Saturday’s game between the Jets and Giants when Jihad Ward gave Aaron Rodgers a light shove after the Jets’ quarterback had completed a short pass to Mecole Hardman that went for a 10-yard gain.
The cameras showed Rodgers giving Ward, an eight-year NFL veteran, a shove back before the two exchanged words.
“That’s bleeping BS, bro,” Rodgers yelled at Ward. “What the bleep is that. Show some respect.”
Ward responded by saying that “I don’t know who the bleep you are.”
“I never heard of you,” Rodgers yelled at Ward.
On the next play, Rodgers threw a touchdown pass to Garrett Wilson. The Jets’ quarterback took another shove from Ward shortly before releasing the ball and then had another exchange with the Giants’ outside linebacker.
“Don’t poke the bear, bro,” Rodgers yelled at Ward after the outside linebacker brushed up against him. “I ain’t never heard of you.”
Hard Knocks immediately cut to a sideline shot of Rodgers boasting to his teammates about his, “I ain’t never heard of you” line.
When the Giants’ locker room opened after practice Wednesday, Ward got a chance to explain his side of the story. He said the initial late shove was a response to a blindside block by Jets’ receiver Randall Cobb on Giants’ safety Bobby McCain.
That play had occurred on the Jets’ first offensive series and resulted in a penalty for Cobb and game-ending concussion for McCain, who did return to practice Wednesday in a limited role.
“The reason why is because I don’t let none of my bleeping teammates get knocked over, you know what I’m saying,” Ward said. “Randall Cobb, he knows what he did. That was some cheap (hit). If I see anything on the field, I got to do what I got to do.”
Ward explained that he doesn’t have time to get into social media battles over things that happen on the field. He feels the best way to deal with things is to make an immediate statement on the field. He also said he felt the Jets were playing to the cameras.
“I can care less about them,” he said. “All that stuff was for the hype. But I don’t want nobody out there thinking I was out there trying to cause a scene. There was a reason why I do things, so it is what it is. That was some sucker (stuff) that Randall Cobb and Aaron Rodgers did and I’m stamping on that. I ain’t hiding from nothing.”
Ward indicated that the Jets were also joking after the hit on McCain.
“Laugh now, cry later,” he said. “They’re going to show his part on HBO on Hard Knocks. That wasn’t really in the whole scenario of what really went down. But they show his side of the story ... and make me look like a sucker, but I ain’t going for that. They was laughing and all that stuff and I was the only one that was sticking up for (McCain).”
Ward, reminded that he was part of a Giants team that beat Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers last year in London, said he doesn’t care if Rodgers knows who he is.
“I don’t praise no man,” he said. “When you’re on that field, I don’t have no respect. You don’t got to know me. That’s fine.”
With both the Giants and Jets having high expectations, the battle for New York/New Jersey doesn’t need any extra hype, but now the Oct. 29 regular-season game at MetLife Stadium has some. Ward said the entire Giants’ bench was ticked off after Cobb’s hit on McCain.
“It’s preseason and you’re going to do something reaction like that,” Ward said. “But it’s cool, man. That’s how they roll and I think we play them soon.”