AP

It looked like one of the dirtiest things you’ll ever see on a football field. But Steelers center Cody Wallace says it was an innocent mistake.

Wallace reached out and touched Dolphins defensive tackle Randy Starks in a place Starks clearly did not want to be touched during Sunday’s game, and the video isn’t pretty. Wallace, however, says there’s a simple explanation for what he did.

“I was trying to get under the pile and get a hand on the football,” Wallace said, via the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “Unfortunately, I didn’t get low enough As soon as I realized what was happening, I definitely stopped. It’s unfortunate it looks that way and came out that way. . . . I thought I was going to be able to get under there and I wasn’t able to and I wasn’t able to get a hand on the football.”

We’ll find out today if the NFL fines Wallace, or if the league office buys Wallace’s explanation.