Eagles’ Huff: ‘What pro athlete doesn’t have a gun?’

PHILADELPHIA (973espn.com) - Josh Huff took his medicine Wednesday in the Eagles locker room, holding court in front of a gaggle of reporters after his arrest Tuesday for allegedly speeding with a 9-millimeter handgun and less than 50 grams of marijuana in his car.

It was a dichotomy of sorts as Huff both defended and admitted fault with his actions.

“I’m a professional athlete,” Huff said. “What professional athlete don’t have a gun? I have a wife and I have a son. My job is to protect them at all costs. My job is to protect myself as well.”

At the same time, Huff acknowledged a mistake, claiming he knew something about New Jersey State gun law but obviously not everything he needed to.

“I made a terrible decision yesterday,” Huff admitted. “It is what it is at this moment. I gotta do my best to rebrand my image and make sure I give my all to my teammates.”

Huff confirmed he was at the NovaCare Complex before the incident but also claimed the gun was not with him at the facility.

"I'm not Gilbert Arenas, bro,” Huff said, referencing the former NBA star who once brought a firearm into the locker room. “I'm not going to bring a gun on the premises. I’m not going to bring a gun and put my teammates in jeopardy or anything. That’s not me."

A Houston native, Huff has a license to carry his gun in Texas and his devotion to firearms seems to have developed from his tough upbringing in South Texas.

"I'm from Houston. You can't trust a lot of people in Houston," he said. "There's always somebody out to get you. You've got to protect yourself. Even when I'm back in Houston, I always have a gun on me, because there has been several instances in Houston where I've lost a friend to gun violence, and he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time, so why would I let that happen to me?"

Earlier Wednesday Eagles head coach Doug Pederson confirmed the organization would let the legal process play out for Huff before doling out any punishment.

“Until I find out exactly the severity of it and what’s going to happen down the road, right now, nothing (will change),” the coach claimed.

Huff, however, understands repercussions are going at some point, be it from the legal process or the NFL.

"I know my actions come with consequences,” Huff said. “I understand that and own up to it. All I can do is take it a day at a time right now. That's what I'm focused on. My focus right now is on the Giants."

-John McMullen covers the Eagles and the NFL for 973espn.com. You can reach him at jmcmullen44@gmail.com or on Twitter @JFMcMullen