OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- Jamal Lewis is certain he will be cleared of drug conspiracy charges, insisting his pending trial has not hindered his preparation with the Baltimore Ravens for the 2004 season.
The star running back is accused in Atlanta of helping set up a cocaine deal for a childhood friend during conversations with a government informant in July 2000. The trial could start as soon as August.
"I am innocent. ... I'm very confident that my legal team will show I'm innocent," he said Monday, the first day of a mandatory minicamp.
Lewis and Angelo Jackson, who grew up in the same area of Atlanta, are charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 5 kilograms of cocaine and using a cell phone in violation of federal law.
Lewis ran for 2,066 yards in 2003, the second-highest total in NFL history, to help the Ravens win the AFC North title. He believes the accusations have motivated him in an effort to come up with an appropriate encore.
"I haven't missed a beat," he said. "Mentally, I've been good. I think it's made me madder, made me work harder, give me some drive when I'm working out."
Basketball
The Toronto Raptors hired Rob Babcock to be the team's general manager, a month after they declined to give him the job. The Raptors have been looking for a general manager since firing Glen Grunwald on April 1. He was replaced on an interim basis by Jack McCloskey, who favored Babcock from the start. Cycling
Lance Armstrong was in third place overall after the first stage of the Dauphine Libere cycling race, a tuneup for his bid for a sixth straight Tour de France title. Football
Former Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Clyde Simmons will retire today.
A July 26 trial date has been set for Miami football recruit Willie Williams on a felony charge for setting off fire extinguishers at a hotel during a recruiting trip. Meanwhile, Williams' attorney is still seeking a plea bargain that would lower the charges against the highly touted prospect to a misdemeanor. Golf
Masters Champion Phil Mickelson won a sudden-death chip-off for a victory in the sixth annual Exelon Invitational. The shot gave Mickelson 11 skins on the day and $230,000 in prize money in the competition at Hartefeld National Golf Club. Olympics
Caesar Garcia took the lead with his second dive from the 10-meter platform and held it after the semifinals of the U.S. Olympic diving trials. Running
French sprinter Marie-Jose Perec retired, ending a career in which she won three Olympic gold medals. The 36-year-old Perec won the 400 meters at the Barcelona Olympics in 1992, and the 400 and 200 at the Atlanta Games four years later. Tennis
Former Davis Cup player Justin Gimelstob beat Amer Delic, 6-3, 3-6, 7-5, in the opening round of the USTA Forest Hills Grass Court Classic on Monday.
