By TERESA M. WALKER
AP Sports Writer
June 14, 2010
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- Vince Young has apologized to the Tennessee Titans, his teammates, his family and fans for his role in a fight at a Dallas strip club. The quarterback said Monday he made a mistake being at the club.
Young, in Dallas for a Sunday autograph session, said he was headed back to his hotel when he decided to go out on the town with a friend. They went to Club Onyx, which Young said was a bad decision.
"Just made a mistake, made a mistake even being there and let that guy provoke me into doing what I did," Young told reporters after a Titans offseason practice. "Fell into his hands, what he wanted me to do so he could do what he's doing now. At the same time, let my lawyers take care of it."
Surveillance video footage released by Dallas police show the quarterback and several people talking in a small room before Young attacked someone in the room. Young left before police arrived, but he spoke with officers around 2:30 p.m. Sunday afternoon. He received a misdemeanor assault citation, and the NFL is looking into the case.
Young returned to Nashville in time to pinch-hit late in coach Jeff Fisher's charity softball game, and he was back on the field Monday as the Titans begin to wrap up its offseason with six team sessions ending June 25.
It has been a busy day for the Titans as linebacker Stephen Tulloch signed his one-year tender hours before a deadline and the team announced linebacker Gerald McRath has been suspended for the first four games of the season.
But it was Young who found himself talking with reporters first to explain the latest incident in the up-and-down career for the quarterback taken No. 3 overall in the 2006 draft after leading Texas to a national championship. He is back as the starter, returned to the starting lineup by owner Bud Adams after the team's 0-6 start last season. He went 8-2 and now is 26-13 overall.
Young said the person who provoked him did make a downward Longhorns sign that was disrespectful. He said more went on, but he wouldn't go into any further details. Asked what would happen if he broke his throwing hand with a punch, Young said it wasn't a punch but a push.
"I made a mistake," Young said.
Young said he hopes commissioner Roger Goodell doesn't come down hard on him.
He has a disappointed coach in Fisher who had to discuss the incident Sunday night trying to raise money for charity, including Nashville flood victims.
"I'd like to think he's learned a lesson, had no business making the decision that he made and obviously he's go to deal with those consequences. I can't comment any further. The league will look into it. The commissioner is very strict about these type of things, and I'm sure we'll hear from him after we get more information," Fisher said.
"He's walking on his own on this one. This was a decision he made. It was not a good decision. He's not one that typically does this, but he put himself in a bad situation and we just move on."
