A former New England Patriots employee has sent the NFL eight videotapes showing the team recorded play-calling signals by coaches of five opponents in six games between the 2000 and 2002 seasons, in violation of league rules.
But the group of tapes does not include video of the St. Louis Rams’ walk-through practice the day before the 2002 Super Bowl. The employee, Matt Walsh, had been linked to such a tape by news media speculation.
Walsh emerged as a pivotal figure in the spying controversy that enveloped the Patriots last season after they were caught taping Jets defensive signals in the season opener.
Walsh, who worked for the Patriots from 1997 to 2003, agreed to turn over the tapes and other evidence by Thursday under an agreement reached last month between lawyers for the NFL and Walsh. The agreement indemnifies Walsh from all future legal fees.
Walsh’s tapes show the Pats recorded the signals of offensive and defensive coaches in regular-season games against the Dolphins, Bills, Browns and Chargers and against the Steelers in the 2002 AFC championship game. In that game, the tape has been edited to show coaches signaling plays, followed by two different camera angles of plays that were called. The Times obtained a list of the Walsh videotapes. That was later confirmed by Walsh’s lawyer, Michael Levy.
