ASHBURN, Va. — Washington Redskins fullback Mike Sellers apologized today for throwing the American flag to the ground during lineup introductions before an exhibition game against the New England Patriots.

"I meant no disrespect," he said.

Sellers said he acted in the "heat of the moment" Friday night. He said he's aware of proper conduct when it comes to the flag and should have known better, having grown up in an Army family.

The Redskins last year began a routine in which the last person introduced before a game runs out of the tunnel hoisting the American flag. Sellers carried the flag to midfield, then flung it down near the 50-yard line before joining his teammates in a midfield huddle. Linebacker Robert Hanson removed the flag from the turf.

"I made a mistake by setting it down the way I did, and I apologize if I offended anybody out there," Sellers said. "I was asked to bring it out, last minute, didn't know who to give it to. I got hyped up and put the flag down. It was in the heat of the moment."