One of the men seen scrapping with former Auburn All-American and NFL MVP Cam Newton on Sunday has issued an apology for the incident but isn’t taking the blame.

“That should have never happened,” TJ Brown said during an appearance on WRDG-FM in Atlanta. “We should have been able to sit down and talk. Like, it’s no reason we should be yelling at each other while a game’s going on. Like, that (expletive), ain’t none of that necessary. …

“It’s just been a lot of trash talk – you know what I’m saying? – more so his side. … Just out of nowhere, just talking crazy to us for no reason. It’s not nothing new. Like, I been around bro for five years, so like this is typical Cam Newton behavior.”

The melee occurred at a 7v7 youth football tournament in Atlanta. Newton’s C1N organization sponsors a 7v7 program. Brown is the head coach of the 7v7 program of Top Shelf Performance, an Atlanta-based wide receiver training program.

Brown said he reacted when he saw “a 6-6 guy grabbing my brother (Steph Brown, another Top Shelf Performance coach).”

“Nobody seen how (Newton) was talking crazy for the past two days,” Brown said. “Nobody seen that.”

Brown issued an apology via his social-media accounts:

“On behalf of TopShelf Performance, we would like to completely apologize for our actions earlier and getting beyond our character,” the statement read. “We are deeply concerned about the recent incident involving Cam Newton, and our thoughts are with all parties affected. Violence has no place in our community, and we strongly condemn any form of aggression.

“At Top Shelf Performance, we are committed to fostering a safe and inclusive environment for everyone associated with our organization. Our values are centered around respect and collaboration and making sure every kid and player thrives to be better that’s around us. We take any deviation from these principles seriously.

“We are actively addressing this matter internally and working towards a resolution that aligns with our commitment to creating a positive space for our team and clients. We appreciate your understanding and want to reassure our community that something like this will never happen again. We remain dedicated to upholding the highest standards of professionalism and integrity and will continue to help and grow with the players in the community.”

Newton has not publicly commented on the incident.

Before the incident, a social-media post from the tournament showed Brown seemingly referring to Newton: “I’m going to say it: They can’t hide the film now. Three times. That non-throwing ass Atlanta hero quarterback cannot beat me.”

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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.