Giants Jihad Ward explains shoving Aaron Rodgers in intense confrontation

Aaron Rodgers and Jihad Ward got into a heated exchange during a preseason game after Ward pushed Rodgers. Ward was retaliating for Rodgers mocking him and laughing at a blind-side hit on a teammate.

During the Giants-Jets preseason game on Saturday night, Aaron Rodgers became well aware of who Jihad Ward was. Ward, the 29-year-old eighth-year defensive tackle for the Giants, admitted that his late push on Rodgers was an act of retaliation. The reason behind this retaliation was not only Rodgers' mocking of Ward during a mic'd-up exchange on HBO's "Hard Knocks," but more importantly, his laughter regarding a blind-side hit on Giants cornerback Bobby McCain by Jets receiver Randal Cobb.

McCain suffered a concussion as a result of Cobb's hit and was still in concussion protocol as of Wednesday. In the latest episode of "Hard Knocks," Rodgers can be seen and heard engaging in a back-and-forth with Ward after the push. Rodgers expressed his frustration, saying, "That's f-king bulls--t, bro. What the f-k is that? Show some respect. C'mon, what the f-k is that? Five damn steps."

Ward responded by stating, "I don't know who you are, bro. I don't know who the f-k you are!" Rodgers fired back, "And I said, 'Bulls-t.'"

Finally, on Wednesday after practice, Ward addressed the incident for the first time. He explained his actions, saying, "There's a reason why I acted like that in the first place. There's a reason why I shoved him like I did. The reason is that I don't let any of my mother-f--king teammates get knocked over. And Randall -- what's his name? -- Randall Cobb? He knew what he did."

Ward continued, "That was some cheap s--t. If I see anything on the field, I've got to do what I've gotta do. At the end of the day, I don't want anyone out here thinking I was trying to cause a scene. There's a reason why I do things. That was some sucker s--t that Randall Cobb and Aaron Rodgers did, and I'm stamping on that. I ain't hiding from nothing. Laugh now, cry later."

Ward acknowledged that HBO's "Hard Knocks" will likely portray the incident from Rodgers' perspective, but he stands firm in his belief that he was defending his teammates. He expressed his frustration with Cobb and Rodgers, stating, "They know what they did, they were laughing and all that stuff. They know what they did, I know what he did, the coaches know what he did, my teammates know what he did. I'm the only one that's sticking up for [McCain]. The whole team was pissed off about the hit, preseason and all that stuff, and you're going to do some reaction and all that shit. That's how they roll, and I think we played them soon, so..."

The Jets and Giants are set to face each other on October 29, and it's clear that Rodgers will not need an introduction to Ward.