New York Giants rookie Jeremy Shockey apologized for comments about gays made two weeks ago during an appearance on Howard Stern's radio show.

During the Sept. 10 interview, Stern asked Shockey if he thought there were any gay players in the NFL.

	“	... If I knew there was a gay guy on my college football team, I probably wouldn't, you know, stand for it. ”
		— Jeremy Shockey, when asked if he had gay teammates at Miami

"I don't know,'' Shockey said. "I don't like to think about that. I hope not.''

The star tight end also was asked if he had any gay teammates at the University of Miami.

"No. I mean, if I knew there was a gay guy on my college football team, I probably wouldn't, you know, stand for it. You know, I think, you know, they're going to be in the shower with us and stuff, so I don't think that's gonna work."

On Thursday, Shockey apologized for his comments, saying he was trying to be funny and it wasn't his intention to offend anyone.

"It's a show just for comedy," Shockey told the Daily News. "I guess I do regret saying it. I didn't think anyone was going to make a big deal out of it. I'm not prejudiced against anybody's beliefs or what they do in their off time. I do regret saying something like that. Whatever I did to offend people, I apologize.

"I'm not prejudiced in any way."

Cyd Zeigler, the president of Outsports.com, a Web site for gay sports fans and athletes that published the partial transcript, said he didn't believe Shockey's explanation.

"Having heard the tape and heard the tone in which he said it, I don't believe that," Zeigler told the newspaper. "There was not an ounce of joking in it. How is what he said funny? Someone who doesn't believe those things doesn't say those things. Someone who doesn't have a problem with gays doesn't say, 'I hope there are none in the NFL.' If I'm a gay player on his team, I just took another step back into the closet."

The Giants apparently were not happy with Shockey's decision to appear on the Stern show, and the team's vice president of communications Pat Hanlon said the tight end's views don't reflect those of the organization, and he believes Shockey is sorry for the comments.

"It wasn't funny," Hanlon told the Daily News. "If Jeremy Shockey tells me it was a poor attempt at humor, I believe him. "But let's put his comments in perspective. It's Howard Stern. It's not '60 Minutes.' It's not a forum for the sociological issues of our time."

With his apology, Shockey added that in his opinion the environment of Stern's show didn't help matters.

"It's Howard Stern. He sets you up in bad situations. I'll know next time."