Posted on 06 April 2012. Tags: ‘rogue', Attorney, coach, Gregg, Gregg Williams, Joe Vitt, Nfl, rogue, Saints, Saints', says, team, Vitt, Went, Williams
NEW YORK — The lawyer for suspended New Orleans Saints assistant Joe Vitt referred to as former defensive coordinator Gregg Williams a “rogue coach” Thursday for his function in the team’s “bounty” program.
Vitt received a six-game suspension from the NFL for his involvement in the scandal, which also resulted in head coach Sean Payton being banned for the season and general manager Mickey Loomis becoming suspended for eight games. The Saints had been fined $ 500,000 and docked second-round picks in the subsequent two drafts.
Following their 90-minute appeal hearing with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell on Thursday at NFL headquarters, David Cornwell, Vitt’s lawyer, and the coach had been asked about a Yahoo! Sports report in which Williams was recorded telling players to target San Francisco 49ers players for injury the night just before their divisional playoff game.
Cornwell stated that was an instance — one of several — of Williams going rogue. Cornwell also stated Payton and Loomis warned Williams the NFL had notified the team 1 week earlier that it had re-opened an investigation into an alleged bounty scheme, but Williams ignored their requests to finish the system.
Payton mentioned at final week’s NFL Annual Meeting that he regretted becoming so focused on offense and not totally monitoring the defense, which Williams controlled.
“As the head coach, something that happens inside the framework of your team and your system, you’re responsible for, and that’s a lesson I’ve learned,” Payton stated last week. “It’s a single that it is straightforward to get carried away on a particular side of the ball offensively or defensively, and that’s something I regret.
“Again, the very first awareness specifically was following the -ten season, and that’s when the league came in initially and visited with a few folks.”
Cornwell said Thursday that Williams was fired by the Saints. Although that could be viewed as appropriate semantically, Williams’ contract technically expired and wasn’t renewed. He then was hired as the St. Louis Rams’ defensive coordinator — a function in which he no longer can serve due to the fact of his indefinite suspension from the NFL.
Payton, Loomis and Vitt hoped to have their punishments lowered or dismissed upon appeal, but several people said they expect that to be unlikely unless they presented compelling new evidence. Goodell could rule as soon as Friday but much more likely subsequent week, according to sources.
The 22 to 27 players cited in the scandal have yet to be disciplined. Goodell is expected to hand down that punishment before the NFL draft, which begins April 26.
Follow Steve Wyche on Twitter @wyche89.
(About:) This write-up was distributed by Syndicated Sports news wire and aggregation service, For more NFL news see: Lawyer for Saints’ Joe Vitt says Gregg Williams went ‘rogue’.
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Posted in NFL News and Rumors
Posted on 17 December 2011. Tags: Attorney, Bears, client, defense, disputes, ExBears, factor, Hurd, list, Nfl, Nfl Players, players, Sam Hurd, the Bears, tied, wideout
An lawyer for ex-Chicago Bears wideout Sam Hurd stated Friday that his client had never sold drugs to other NFL players, hoping to put any rumors to rest as his client prepares to fight federal drug charges.
Less than an hour following Hurd was cut by the Bears, defense attorney Brett Greenfield told reporters that his client planned to fight the charges and wanted one particular factor created clear:
“Sam has asked me to address 1 point, with respect to the rumors that Sam has been supplying drugs to other members of the NFL, out of respect to the NFL, out of respect to teammates and out of respect to other players, he 100 percent denies that allegation,” Greenfield stated. “It is patently and completely false. It just didn’t take place.”
Another defense attorney of Hurd’s, David Kenner, also disputed the report that authorities have a list of NFL players with a connection to Hurd, who is facing federal drug charges following his Wednesday arrest.
“I haven’t observed all the material,” Kenner told the Chicago Sun-Times. “But we have noticed absolutely nothing to support that contention. We think that is just not the case.”
Chicago sports radio station, 670 The Score, cited a law enforcement source in reporting Thursday that police have a list of NFL players in the “double-digits” supplied by the former Bears wide receiver.
The NFL also stated Friday it is not aware of other players involved in the federal drug case against Hurd.
League spokesman Brian McCarthy said the NFL is closely monitoring the case. Asked about the report about the list in question, McCarthy mentioned: “We are not aware of such a list.”
Hurd was arrested Wednesday night following authorities stated he agreed to acquire a kilogram, or two.two pounds, of cocaine from an undercover agent. A criminal complaint says Hurd wanted to set up a drug-distribution network in the Chicago area.
Asked how specific he was that other players on the Bears or around the league were not involved, Bears common manager Jerry Angelo said, “I can’t speak about that.”
“I’m definitely not going on any witch hunts about players,” he added. “The 1 factor that we’ve performed when there’s been a incorrect, we’ve acted. We don’t justify wrongs. We’ve acted. We have a track record of undertaking that. Unfortunately, a situation arose that caught us off guard, but not to the point where we aren’t going to do the correct thing.”
Bears wideout Earl Bennett said he doesn’t feel other players are involved.
“I wouldn’t think so,” he said. “A lot of guys in this locker space are very high-character guys.”
(About:) This post was distributed by Syndicated Sports news wire and aggregation service, For more NFL news see: Lawyer disputes list of players tied to ex-Bears WR Hurd.
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Posted on 26 May 2011. Tags: Aqib, Assault With A Deadly Weapon, Attorney, Bucs, Cornerback, county district attorney, dallas county district attorney, decide, Friday, Grand, indict, jury, matter, office spokeswoman, Raheem Morris, Talib, whether
Buccaneers cornerback Aqib Talib is expected to locate out on Friday regardless of whether he’ll be indicted on a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
Jamille Bradfield, a Dallas County District Attorney’s Office spokeswoman, told the Tampa Tribune that a Dallas County grand jury is expected to decide Friday whether to indict Talib.
Talib is accused of firing shots at his sister’s boyfriend in March. His mom, Okolo Talib is charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and being a felon in possession of a firearm in connection with the exact same incident.
It is not clear but what Talib’s status will be with the Bucs or the NFL when the lockout ends. Bucs coach Raheem Morris stated this month that the team has created no decisions.
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