New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady denied altering footballs used in the AFC Championship Game on Sunday.

“I didn’t alter the balls in any way. I was surprised as anyone when I heard Monday morning this was happening,” Brady said before a packed auditorium at Gillette Stadium on Thursday.

Brady said he last saw the footballs used in the game about five hours before halftime, when officials found 11 of 12 game balls to be underinflated, according to ESPN. Coach Bill Belichick said earlier Monday that he had no knowledge of anyone tinkering with the footballs and could not explain how they might have been altered.

“I feel like I have always played within the rules,” Brady said. “I don’t like that this has taken away from some of the accomplishments we had as a team.”

Brady said the NFL talked to him in its investigation into how the footballs were deflated and whether he had access to them before kickoff.

“The integrity of the game is a very important thing,” Brady said. “I believe in fair play and will always believe in that for as long as I’m playing.”