FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- New England Patriots cornerback Logan Ryan was fined $10,000 for grabbing his groin as he crossed the goal line during a touchdown return of an interception in Week 7 against the New York Jets.
ProFootballTalk.com had earlier reported the fine. Ryan confirmed it Thursday night.
The gesture did not draw a penalty flag during last Sunday's game.
Ryan, a third-round pick out of Rutgers, returned an interception of Jets quarterback Geno Smith 79 yards for a touchdown. As he was nearing the goal line, Ryan turned around and put his hand over his groin as he fell backward into the end zone.
He apologized on Thursday.
"First off, I just want to apologize to all the fans and all the viewers who had to witness that," Ryan said, later adding that the worst part for him was seeing his mother after the game as she expressed her disapproval.
"I own up to it 100 percent. It's not acceptable. It's not acceptable for me and this team. I want to put it behind me, and I want to move on, and focus on Miami, and let people know it won't happen again. That's not who I am."
It was the first career interception for the 22-year-old Berlin, N.J., native, who was playing for the first time as an NFL player in his home state.
He finished the game with four tackles to go along with the interception, serving as the team's nickel cornerback with Aqib Talib inactive due to a hip injury.