Vick will fight lawsuit

Friday, April 8, 2005 | 9:32 a.m.

SUN WIRE SERVICES

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick will fight the allegations in a lawsuit filed against him by a woman claiming to be his former girlfriend.

The suit claims Vick knowingly infected the woman with genital herpes in April 2003.

"With respect to the lawsuit recently filed against him, Michael Vick wants all his fans, teammates and coaches to know that he intends to defend himself in the legal process but will not let this matter distract him from his primary goal of bringing a championship to the fans of Atlanta," Lawrence Woodward, Vick's Virginia Beach-based attorney, said in a statement released Thursday.

"Michael Vick will have no further public comment on this matter at this time."

Vick is out of town and not expected to return until next week, according to Falcons spokesman Reggie Roberts. Attempts to contact Vick were unsuccessful.

Sonya Elliott filed the civil suit against Vick, 24, in Gwinnett County State Court on March 14, seeking unspecified damages for Vick's alleged negligence, unwanted physical contact (civil battery), and potential future medical complications.

"Mr. Vick's statement speaks for itself. He was not concerned with our client's well-being when he gave her the disease without telling her he was infected, and he is apparently no more concerned now," said Cale Conley, Elliott's attorney.

Douglas has spent all but a few months of his NFL career with the Ravens, where new 49ers coach Mike Nolan was his defensive coordinator for the last three years. He started 31 games for Baltimore over the past two seasons, getting 5 1/2 sacks and 48 tackles last year.

Douglas also was courted by the Cleveland Browns, but he wasn't scared away by the 49ers' league-worst 2-14 finish last season.

Douglas will compete with John Engelberger and Tony Brown for the starting spot on the right side of the defensive line, with stalwart defensive tackle Bryant Young expected to play on the left end. Nolan admired Douglas' versatility along the line in Baltimore, where he played both ends and sometimes lined up as an interior lineman on passing downs.

Grant started the first nine games last season then was inactive the final seven games, apparently struggling to get the hang of coach Norv Turner's defense. He finished the season with 20 tackles and two sacks.

Russell, who started at safety the past two seasons, signed an offer sheet for a two-year contract with the Browns last week.

Cleveland has released both of its starting safeties since the end of last season, Robert Griffith and Earl Little.

The Vikings, who signed former Green Bay free safety Darren Sharper last month, had tendered Russell the minimum one-year qualifying offer of $656,000.