MEMPHIS - Early Monday morning, before the jury came in, the defense was arguing motions and setting the theme for the day.

"The core of our defense is that (Lynn) Lang is a liar," said attorney Robert Hutton. "He has a motive to lie, and he is a liar."

Day six of USA vs. Logan Young featured the defense calling seven witnesses. Four contradicted Lang's testimony, including Bill Wade, a local lawyer who said he met with Young and Lang "at least three times face-to-face in the fall of 2000."

Lang - a former Trezevant High coach who allegedly received $150,000 from Young for steering Albert Means to Alabama - testified last week he had never met Wade. But Wade said he, Young and Lang talked about filing a libel lawsuit against author Richard Ernsberger.

Wade said the first meeting was in October 2000, and he testified that Young and Lang "represented they did not know each other" before that month. Telephone records introduced by the prosecution indicate the two spoke many times and as early as June 2000.

On cross examination, prosecutor Fred Godwin asked for any notes from the more than 100 hours Wade testified spending with Young on this matter. Wade had none. Then Godwin pointed out that Wade had a connection to Young. Wade, at the time, worked for the firm that had represented the Alabama booster for years and made a significant amount of money doing so.

That connection was a constant from morning to afternoon. Of the seven witnesses the defense called, five testified that they had taken money from Young over the years in some capacity.

Melvin "Botto" Earnest, was one of the witnesses who fell into that category, even though his Feb. 9, 2001 testimony to the TBI indicated otherwise.

"I have never been paid money for any reason by Mr. Young," Earnest, a Melrose High security officer, said then. "He has never given me any money."

Godwin read this statement Monday, asked Earnest if he remembered making it and offered proof to the contrary. Earnest then acknowledged Young had given him money, and co-signed for a vehicle.

Still, Earnest stuck to the key part of his testimony, which was that in August 1999 he did not take Lang to meet Young, who is charged with conspiracy, bribery and structuring a financial transaction to evade reporting requirements.

"No," Earnest answered when asked if he drove Lang to meet Young. "Never."

Among the other Monday witnesses was former University of Memphis coach Rip Scherer. His appearance was brief, but clear in stating that he never offered to get Lang's wife into law school at Memphis free of cost in exchange for Means being a Tiger.

"Absolutely not," Scherer said. "If he testified to that, he's incorrect."

The defense is expected to call one more witness this morning, and rest without Young taking the stand. Then the prosecution may call one rebuttal witness (former Michigan State coach Brad Lawing), before moving onto closing arguments, probably by the afternoon.