Former Tennessee football player Tony McDaniel reached a settlement late Monday night in a civil suit filed by Edward Goodrich, hours before the case was set to go to trial.
Goodrich’s suit sought $800,000 in damages from McDaniel, who is a member of the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars, stemming from a 2005 incident in which McDaniel punched Goodrich, then a fellow UT student, while the two were playing a pickup basketball game in the TREC gym on campus.
“I can tell you the case is resolved to everybody’s satisfaction,” said McDaniel’s attorney, Dallas Reynolds. “I think everybody’s happy that it’s over with.”
Goodrich’s attorney, Lane Wolfenbarger, said his client was pleased with the settlement, which includes a sum up front as well as an unknown structured sum.
Neither Reynolds nor Wolfenbarger would divulge the amount of the settlement. Goodrich sought $300,000 in compensatory damages and $500,000 in punitive damages.
“Mr. Goodrich was pleased with the settlement we were able to reach,” Wolfenbarger said. “We felt we had a very compelling case, that the jury award would be substantial in this case. Any settlement offer that he would have entertained at this late date would have reflected that. He’s very pleased with the settlement.”
McDaniel punched Goodrich once on Jan. 12, 2005, breaking four bones in Goodrich’s face. A security camera inside the TREC gym captured the punch on videotape, and McDaniel, who is now 23, was indicted on a felony assault charge.
He pleaded to a misdemeanor assault charge and was suspended for Tennessee’s first two games of the 2005 season.
According to Reynolds, McDaniel has apologized to Goodrich.
“They did speak,” Reynolds said. “I know that they did. They’ve been forced to interact with each other during the process of getting the case ready for trial. They’ve interacted and they’re cordial with each other, and I know that Tony apologized to him in person.”
Wolfenbarger said that Goodrich has recovered well since the incident, which left him with assorted injuries.
“Mr. Goodrich has made a good recovery from his injuries and he’s doing very well professionally,” Wolfenbarger said.
McDaniel, a 6-foot-7, 295-pound defensive tackle, played three seasons at UT before turning pro following his junior season in 2005.
McDaniel, a Columbia, S.C., native, initially opted to return for his senior season, but reversed himself one day after Goodrich filed the suit in Knox County Circuit Court on Jan. 11, 2006.
McDaniel signed with Jacksonville in 2006 as an undrafted free agent and played in 11 games as a rookie.
McDaniel played in four games this season for the Jaguars before a wrist injury put him on injured reserve in October.
Drew Edwards covers University of Tennessee football. He may be reached at 865-342-6274.
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Comments » 19
jhayes1911 writes:
Everyone this was a real unfortunate situation. Mr. Goodrich is one of my friends and I saw the incident. He was out cold for 10 minutes and still does not remember anything till this day. I'm glad everything is resolved.
thesavageorange writes:
jhayes1911 ,sorry about you're friend.Not to downplay the incident, but I am glad McDaniel found his way on a team.Bet you're pal is too.
jhayes1911 writes:
McDaniel is a cool guy but was provoked by his teammates that day. Here's how it went: Football players and regular guys are playing b-ball in the TRECs and McDaniel's teammates on the opposite pickup team persist in fouling him since he is so big. So he says "the next person to foul me, I'm hitting them". One of the other football players fouls him, and my buddy just so happened to be standing in the wrong place and bam he gets hit. It almost killed him, just inches from the temple. He still has the plate in his face from the breakage. Tony is glad and i'm glad for him too, it was just an unfortunate situation. My friend is also doing well with his career.
agentorange writes:
whatever. i had to watch 'roids' mcglothlin play dt b/c of all this phooey.
thesavageorange writes:
jhayes1911 ,Good deal.
smokey90 writes:
jhayes if that happened as you stated, McDaniel was real lucky. I know of people serving time on a felony for less than that type of injury. The settlement was not too bad for McDaniel either. I wish your friend well.
jhayes1911 writes:
Ok agentorange, how about you take a blow from a 6'7" 300 pound athlete who is stronger than an ox and see how much of a deal it is. So I don't think the situation is all for not. I'd rather take one from Mike Tyson in his heyday than this guy. He is like a duplicate of John Henderson less some skills!
smokey90-he was remorseful which is the reason for this settlement. Look how long it took for the final decision.
MrBamSeydu writes:
"Look at me, I know the guy who got knocked out and now I'm going to blab about all the details of him getting knocked the fluck out" who cares? your boy got decked. people get decked everyday, it's just sad that in this day and age everyone sues everyone instead of just getting up and dragging yourself to the hospital and taking it like a man. before you ask "is that what you'd do" yes. it is. i've been punched and i've punched other people before.... never ending in a lawsuit.
jhayes1911 writes:
Who is this guy? yemmusdarb I see why you got hit, it because of your mouth! Comments were made and thats it! No one asked for your two cents. Its because these football players get away with murder up there and nothing happens. Had Tony been a regular guy, then yeah nothing would have happened. You see all the problems that are going on now and they get slaps on the wrist. Its about being responsible for your actions and facing the consequences. Were you there? Did you even go to school? If so i'll eat my words but if not just stay a fan and keep reading...Maybe next time it will be you almost getting your head knocked off! Idiot!
whymelord writes:
Well yemmusdarb, you are a real dumb ars!! I don't know either one of the guys, but I am sure Goodrich has suffered some long lasting injuries from this. I mean a metal plate in his face?? You think you are Mr. Macho because you weren't the one that got hit. "instead of just getting up and taking it like a man", whatever, get a life!!!
agentorange writes:
i had a metal plate in my head for years. i'd wet myself everytime someone fired up a microwave anywhere near me. now i've switched to plastic. it's better but i had to completely change the way i part my hair.
TommyJack writes:
yemmusdarb: I gotta concur. Not one of your better posts.
Agentorange. Be thankful you have enuff hair to part.
MrBamSeydu writes:
moral of the story: who cares
CoverOrange writes:
Moral of the story is Brad Summey is a self absorbed, self righteous idiot. If Edward Goodrich could have gotten up I'm sure he would have. He couldn't because someone lost his temper and made a mistake. Lawsuits are meant to deter neanderthal behavior like this. We are a semi-civilized society.
Couchdummy writes:
jhayes1911, thanks for the post. Forgive idiots who are so full of hate when someone tries to provide a true insight to an unfortunate situation. I think that it would pay people to LISTEN to someone who was there rather than use your posting as a pulpit to give an uninformed opinion!
hueypilot writes:
I met Tony only briefly at the SEC Championship game this year. He said he hoped to heal and get back on the field where he got a lot of playing time spelling Marcus Stroud and Big John. He was big as a house but a very soft spoken, "yessir, nosir" guy and some of the Jags coaches admitted they had reservations after the "incident" but have been very pleasantly surprised at McDaniel's demeanor. I mean, after all, you would like your 300 lb DT to be a little ornery, but confine his orneriness (??) to the field. I wish him well and I'm glad Mr. Goodrich is doing well.
jhayes1911 writes:
WD40-That was great! I liked the way you put this guy on blast...maybe he'll change is username. Many props for that one!
Colliervol writes:
Amazing. Evidently there are still some folks around who think Goodrich should have been arrested for assault. Throw the book at him. I'm certain that he premeditatedly attacked McDaniel's fist with his face. Heaven forbid that a football player gets punished for sucker punching some poor sap.
The only thing that McDaniel understands it that he is now a few hundred thousand dollars lighter and I'm at least glad of that. I can assure you that the measly two game suspension at the time taught him nothing. I agree with jcvet. He should have been booted from the team and that was a mistake on Fulmer's part. (And I said it at that time too.)
MrBamSeydu writes:
"put this guy on blast".... ok, you got me..... i'm fully "on blast" due to him calling me "self righteous" and "self absorbed" in a govolsextra message board. my feelings are truly hurt, now I guess I'll go change my login name. sike.
ps - someone is smart enough to read backwards!! you get a smiley face and a cool little silver star on your progress report!! high five!!
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