ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, April 24, 1997 TAG: 9704240057
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: CHRISTIANSBURG
SOURCE: LISA K. GARCIA THE ROANOKE TIMES
Both men have denied having sex with their accuser and filed a lawsuit, which they later dropped, claiming her accusation cost them future income as professional football players.
A Montgomery County Circuit Court grand jury indicted two former Virginia Tech football players Wednesday on rape and attempted sodomy charges.
Blacksburg police arrested Brian Edmonds and James Crawford Dec. 16 after another student accused the men of raping her during a party at their apartment.
Both men have denied ever having sex with the woman and filed a lawsuit the day after their arrest claiming her accusation cost them future income as professional football players. Their suit was withdrawn, but the men's attorneys said they would refile it, possibly after the criminal case is completed.
Each man faces one count of rape and attempted sodomy and will remain free on $45,000 bond until their Sept.8 jury trial.
The woman told police she had been drinking wine the night of the party and was intoxicated when the men pulled her into a bedroom and raped her.
Former starting fullback Edmonds and former reserve wide receiver Crawford said they never had sex with the woman and had left their apartment before the time the woman said she was attacked.
In an unrelated case, Edmonds was found guilty last week of disorderly conduct in connection with an August brawl near the Tech campus that resulted in indictments against eight current and former players. He was sentenced to serve two days in jail.
Edmonds' agent, Neil Schwartz, said the fullback signed a National Football League free-agent contract this week with Seattle. Seahawks spokesman Dave Neubert said the team would not announce who has been signed until all contracts are reviewed by the team's attorneys.
Schwartz said Edmonds would have been drafted in the sixth or seventh round by an NFL team last weekend and been offered about three times as much money if he had not been facing the rape charge.
``The NFL is image-conscious,'' Schwartz said. ``You're guilty until you've proven yourself innocent. I'm not blaming them. But once this case happened, he became undraftable.''
Edmonds will work out with the Seahawks this weekend and return for tryouts in July, Schwartz said.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
LENGTH: Medium: 55 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: (headshots) 1. Edmonds. color. 2. Crawford.by CNB