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Okeafor didn't want anyone catching that pass on him
Associated Press

SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- If Chike Okeafor could replay the frantic final seconds again, he would do the exact same thing. Okeafor all but admitted he got away with pass interference as time expired in the San Francisco 49ers' wild 39-38 victory over the New York Giants last Sunday. Of course, the 49ers' defensive end didn't think Rich Seubert was an eligible receiver at the time Seubert attempted to catch Matt Allen's flailing pass as time expired. Okeafor tackled him before the ball got there, but no pass interference was called. On Monday, the league issued a statement saying that Okeafor should have been penalized. Okeafor chuckled. ''Woulda, shoulda, coulda. I'd have done the same thing again,'' Okeafor said. ''I wasn't going to let him catch it, score and be over then. I was at least going to make them use another play, give us another chance.'' Did he think the league was correct in saying he had committed pass interference? ''It could have been, if he was a receiver,'' he said. ''I figured they'd call it if he was eligible.'' Referee Ron Winter's staff didn't whistle Okeafor for the penalty, and at the time, most thought the call wasn't made because Seubert was an ineligible receiver. In fact, Seubert was eligible -- but Tam Hopkins wasn't, and he was hit with the call. In essence, the league said its only officiating error was failing to call pass interference. Even coach Steve Mariucci thought Okeafor was about to be whistled -- but when Winter announced only a penalty on Hopkins, he charged the field with his team. ''As I was running down the field, I saw 60-something, and I was like, 'There's no way he's a receiver,''' Okeafor said. ''But I was going to make sure he didn't catch the ball.''





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