Acquittal pending in Young trial

"I'm going to let you go home," Judge Daniel Breen told jurors Friday afternoon. "I'll ask you to be back here at 9:45 Monday morning."

Which is when everything starts again, and the defense will continue its mission of putting on witnesses to impeach Lang's testimony while creating enough reasonable doubt to exonerate Young from a four-count indictment of bribery, conspiracy and structuring a financial transaction to evade reporting requirements.

Young allegedly lured Lang into sending star lineman Albert Means to Alabama. Lang was Means' coach at Memphis Trezevant High School.

The most interesting developments during the fifth day of the trial took place outside the courtroom.

As he exited the courtroom after testifying, Georgia coach Jim Donnan stopped to speak with reporters. Among other things, he detailed a meeting with SEC officials in Spring 2000, several months after Means signed with Alabama.

Donnan said Arkansas coach Houston Nutt, Tennessee coach Phillip Fulmer, former Ole Miss coach David Cutcliffe, former Florida coach Steve Spurrier and himself each informed the SEC about how Means' recruitment was handled.

"We told them we had all pulled off this kid, and told them why," Donnan said. "Spurrier is the one who brought it up. ... But there were five of us there, and we reported it the way we were supposed to."

Donnan retold the story of how he left Trezevant on Jan. 28, 2000, upset after Lang said he wanted cash and cars for Means. Donnan said he immediately called Mark Schlabach - then Georgia's beat writer at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution - and told him to cease listing Means as a possible Bulldog recruit.

Asked if he was surprised when Means signed with Alabama the next week, Donnan paused before answering, "No comment."

During cross examination, Donnan said, contrary to Lang's testimony, that he never gave Lang any illegitimate money. Donnan acknowledged Lang asked for SUVs and cash for Albert Means going to Georgia.

"He definitely had his hand out," Donnan said. "I told my assistant that we were out of here."

Donnan held firm throughout. Assistant U.S. attorney Fred Godwin tried to show jurors why.

"If you admitted to (giving Lang money) you would never be able to coach again, would you?" Godwin asked.

"Right," answered Donnan, now an ESPN analyst.

The defense called former Alabama assistant Ivy Williams to open its case. As expected, Williams denied he advised Lang to get someone to take Means's ACT, contradicting Lang's testimony.

With that, defense attorney Jim Neal passed the witness, and then Godwin began his cross-examination that in turn attacked Williams' credibility.

Godwin took Williams' NCAA and grand jury testimony, and pointed out multiple inconsistent statements before getting him to acknowledge speaking by phone to Young more than 200 times in 1999-2000.

Still, Williams denied ever discussing recruiting with Young even though that's the timeframe in which the Memphian allegedly paid Lang $150,000 to ensure Means went to Alabama.

"So you were the (Alabama coach who recruited Memphis), and Mr. Young is a big Alabama fan, and you talked several hundred times ... but you never discussed any recruitment of any player?" asked Godwin.

"No," answered Williams.

Then he offered an explanation. "My mom was really ill in 1999," Williams said. "We could've been talking about that."

According to some close to the case, the defense is expected to rest Tuesday. Closing arguments should be Wednesday.

If convicted, Young, 64, faces a maximum of 15 years in a prison, and a $900,000 fine.