--The Jaguars received welcome news last week when a Jacksonville jury acquitted starting cornerback Brian Williams of drunken driving charges from a 2006 incident involving Williams and a police officer.

Williams had originally entered a no-contest plea to drunken driving charges. But that was only part of the accusations against the Jaguars defensive back. Just as damaging was a report by the arresting officer who stated that Williams threatened him with sex acts with the officer's family, offering a female companion in Williams' car for sex in exchange for his release and belittling the officer with epithets ranging from "trailer park trash" to unprintable profanity.

Williams said he changed his original plea because it was the only way he could clear his name.

"I knew I wasn't guilty no matter what the verdict," he said after the decision by the jury, which took just 45 minutes to clear Williams. "Today I got to tell my side of the story."

At the time of the arrest, Williams refused to take a breath test, saying he felt that police had already put him in a jail uniform. The refusal automatically cost Williams his driver's license for a year, regardless of the jury's decision.

Williams also denied making any of the derogatory statements that the Jacksonville police officer accused him of making.

"That was very shocking because I never made any of those statements," the 29-year-old Jaguars player said. "I wouldn't refer to women that way. I have a daughter, two nieces and a mom."

The female companion with Williams testified on his behalf and denied that he was abusive toward the arresting officer. She also said that the policeman tried to provoke Williams as soon as he pulled him over.

Williams had faced up to one year in jail and a small fine had he been convicted of the charges.

Williams was not publicly disciplined by the Jaguars for the incident.

CAMP CALENDAR
Players report on July 25 and training camp practices run through Aug. 26.

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