ASHBURN, Va. -- Washington Commanders linebacker Frankie Luvu, who has been fined three times for hip-drop tackle violations, said it seems as if the NFL has a "target on my back."
But, he said, that won't change the way he plays.
"I play one way, and that's the only way I know how to play -- that's fast, physical and downhill," Luvu said.
He had a one-game suspension overturned on appeal Tuesday, which he called a "relief, a weight off my shoulders."
Instead, Luvu was fined $100,000 for a tackle on Seattle Seahawks receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba that the NFL deemed a hip-drop violation. It was Luvu's third violation this season -- he was fined for tackles in Weeks 4 and 8, which is why he was initially suspended for Sunday's game against the Detroit Lions.
But Derrick Brooks, the hearing officer handling the appeal, dropped the suspension, which also saved Luvu from losing a game check for $508,333.
Luvu's agent, Blake Baratz, said in a statement that the decision to overturn the suspension "was the right one. Frankie plays the game the right way -- with passion, physicality, and respect -- and has been a tremendous ambassador for the sport both on and off the field."
Luvu said his intention is not to hurt anyone.
"I [don't] wake up on Sunday mornings and go, 'I can't wait to go out there and hurt somebody,'" Luvu said. "I respect my peers, I respect the players, and I respect the game and also my reputation. ... I play it aggressive, violently."
He said he's still trying to get a clear understanding of what constitutes a hip-drop tackle.
"That's the question I'm trying to ask myself and ask them," Luvu said. "What is it? It's frustrating for me sometimes to look at it, all the plays they've seen it and to see what they're looking at and to see what is a hip-drop. They're still trying to figure out what is a hip-drop. That's out of my control. I worry about making my tackles and helping the team out."
The last time Luvu garnered attention like this was in the NFC Championship Game at Philadelphia last season, when he jumped over the line before the snap in an attempt to stop an Eagles tush push from the 2-yard line. He was penalized twice, and a third infraction could have resulted in an automatic touchdown.
In this case, Luvu said he believes he's being watched closely.
"I feel like I'm under the microscope," he said. "What I can control is to go out there and make my tackles and not leave it up to [them], where it's another fine or another thing I'm trying to appeal."
He also said he doesn't like that some people might think he's "a dirty player."
"My teammates know who I am," he said. "I try to play the game the right way."