Morris Hit With Drug Charges

A grand jury in Rockwall, Texas, indicted Pittsburgh Steeler running back Byron “Bam” Morris on felony drug charges Tuesday after authorities found marijuana and cocaine in his car.

Morris, 24, was indicted on one count of possession of more than six pounds of marijuana and one count of possession of 1 1/2 grams of cocaine, Rockwall County District Attorney Galen Sumrow said.

Both charges are third-degree felonies punishable by two to 10 years in prison and a maximum $10,000 fine.

Authorities searching Morris’ impounded luxury car found the cocaine Monday, Sumrow said. The leased car was retained last week after officers had found the marijuana in the trunk during a traffic stop.

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Dallas Cowboy receiver Michael Irvin and three others who were in a motel room where police found cocaine, marijuana and drug paraphernalia appeared before a grand jury in Dallas.

Irvin, former Cowboy tight end Alfredo Roberts, Angela Beck and Jasmine Nabwangu were tight-lipped about the behind-closed-door proceedings. The panel is investigating the events that led to Beck’s arrest on drug charges. The jury broke late in the day without taking action.

Irvin refused to discuss the day’s events with reporters, and state District Judge John Creuzot has issued a gag order.

Only Beck was arrested after police entered an Irving, Texas, motel room March 4 and found the drugs. She claimed the drugs were hers.

A building security officer was fired for getting Irvin’s autograph when he arrived at a courthouse to meet with prosecutors Monday.

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Steve Staggs, a former University of Houston assistant football coach, has settled a “whistle-blower” lawsuit he filed against the school. The amount of the agreement was not revealed, but a source told the Houston Chronicle that Staggs recently rejected a $650,000 offer. . . . Former South Carolina quarterback Steve Taneyhill and Carolina Panther tight end Mathew Campbell were acquitted of interfering with a police officer during a Charlotte nightclub incident. . . . Boxer Hector “Macho” Camacho, 33, will not face charges stemming from a December fight with his wife because she was the aggressor in the domestic squabble, prosecutors in Orlando, Fla., said. . . . The new head of Algeria’s Olympic committee, Mustapha Berraf, is in custody in Algiers, under arrest on corruption charges having to do with a shopping center he headed.

Football

The sale of the Seattle Seahawks by Ken Behring to billionaire Paul Allen may be drawing closer.

“Both the buyer and seller want to resolve this before the end of the month,” King County Council member Peter von Reichbauer said Tuesday night.

The Oakland Raiders have picked Napa for their preseason training camp, marking a return to Northern California after 11 summers in the Los Angeles area. The Raiders will be headquartered at a Napa hotel and will practice at the Redwood Middle School.

Defensive end Neil Smith of the Kansas City Chiefs is recovering from surgery on his right shoulder. He was injured during a game against Denver Dec. 17. . . . Bart Oates, the anchor on two Super Bowl-winning offensive lines for the New York Giants, retired after 11 seasons in the NFL. . . . The Chicago Bears signed unrestricted free agent offensive lineman Mike Sullivan, who has spent the last four seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They also signed free-agent guard Octus Polk and defensive lineman Scotty Lewis. . . . The New England Patriots waived linebacker Vincent Brown, their 30-year-old defensive captain and leader in tackles the last five seasons, because of concerns over his injured knees. They also waived safety Myron Guyton, 28. . . . Buffalo Bill safety Kurt Schulz signed a four-year contract extension reportedly worth $5.2 million.

Swimming

Mark Foster of Britain set a world’s best time for the 50-meter butterfly, clocking 24.07 seconds, 0.2 of a second faster than the old mark, in a race at Cardiff, Wales. Since the event is not an Olympic or world championship distance, the time cannot be listed as a world record.

Miscellany

Cigar, the 1995 horse of the year, will try for his 14th consecutive victory today in the $4-million Dubai World Cup, over 1 1/4 miles on the sandy Nad Al Sheb track in United Arab Emirates. A victory would earn him $2.4 million and bring his lifetime total to $7,669,015, passing the $6,679,242 of Alysheba and making him the richest racehorse in North America.

Robert Pires and Florian Maurice scored two goals each for France, which qualified for the Atlanta Olympic soccer competition by beating Germany, 4-1, in Metz, France, in a European under-21 championship quarterfinal.

Mike Milbury, the coach and general manager of the New York Islanders, was appointed general manager of the 1996 U.S. national hockey team.