From today's Star-Ledger:

Security chief catches the spy on the sideline

Thursday, September 13, 2007

BY DAVE HUTCHINSON AND RICK HEPP

Star-Ledger Staff

HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. -- Eagle-eyed former FBI agent Steve Yarnell -- who has been with the Jets for 11 seasons, the past four as the team's director of security -- sniffed out the Patriots' spy attempts on Sunday.

Yarnell, who was initially hired by Bill Parcells and has also worked with the Giants and Patriots, spotted New England video assistant Matt Estrella taking illegal video of the Jets coaches sending in defensive signals during last Sunday's game and turned him in to NFL security.

"Steve is very good at what he does," said a person close to the investigation who did not want to be identified because of the sensitive nature of the situation. "He watches everything. He can be a pain in the butt, but you want him in a foxhole with you."

Yarnell, who also serves as a body guard for Jets coach Eric Mangini during games, spotted Estrella and confronted him on the field.

Pat Aramini, vice president of security at the Meadowlands Complex, said Yarnell viewed a portion of the tape and saw it was of a Jets defensive coach.

Eventually, security from the NFL, Jets and Patriots, as well as state troopers in the Sports Complex unit, ended up in Aramini's office at Giants Stadium, where they spent "at least an hour" trying to determine who would get the video camera and tape, Aramini said. At one point, there was a discussion of copying the tape and giving the copy to the Jets, but the team balked at the idea.

"The NFL wanted to take possession of the tape and the Patriots said no," Aramini said. "It went back and forth until we got a call from the league that any footage taken on the field belongs to the NFL."

The Patriots did not like the answer, Aramini said, and the team's security representative said New England wasn't going to give up the tape.

"I said, 'I'm in possession of it now,'" Aramini said. "It belongs to the NFL by rights. If the Patriots have any problem they can take it up with the league on Monday. The NFL took the tape and the video camera."

He said everyone in the room was a "gentleman," with the Patriots security representative asking the others "not to kill the messenger."