Milloy welcomes teammates' support after arrest

[September 18, 2008]  FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. (AP) -- Lawyer Milloy said Wednesday he was glad to be with his teammates for the Atlanta Falcons' first practice since his DUI arrest early Monday.

"I think I need to be here," Milloy said as he talked with reporters for the first time since the arrest in suburban Atlanta, only hours after the Falcons returned from a loss at Tampa Bay.

"It's been tough just sitting at home and thinking about everything," Milloy said. "Once I got here and saw my teammates, I think they realized they need to be here for me like I've been here for them."

Gwinnett County police charged the 34-year-old Milloy with driving under the influence of alcohol and speeding. Milloy was booked into the jail at 4:35 a.m. Monday and posted a bond of more than $1,600 about five hours later.

Attorney Manny Arora said Wednesday he has advised Milloy not to comment on specifics of the arrest.

Milloy told officers he was returning from a strip club, according to the police incident report.

Milloy, driving a 2006 Range Rover, was clocked at 77 mph in a 55 mph zone on Interstate 85. He was tested for "more than .08 percent" alcohol in his blood, according to the report.

"I apologized Monday to my teammates and tried to explain to them everything that went on," Milloy said. "It was a situation and if it happened to me it could happen to anybody. That's what I did Monday and then I went home and tried to explain it to my family."

Milloy leads Atlanta, which plays Kansas City on Sunday, with 13 solo tackles and an interception. He has been considered a leader off the field.

"We've got a lot of young players on this team," Milloy said. "I've been trying to lead by example.

"This is my last year on my contract. I've got 14 weeks left here and I'm going to keep doing what I've been doing the first two weeks, lead by example on the field and use them to help me get through this. ... They've rallied behind me and had a lot of encouraging words."

Defensive end John Abraham, who had a 2003 drunken driving arrest while playing for the Jets, said the key for Milloy will be how he responds to the arrest.

"I went through a situation myself, so I talked to him about how it is," Abraham said. "I just told him he just needs to do the right thing from now on and he'll be OK. He's a grown man. Everybody makes mistakes. It's about how you turn around from it. I think he'll come back the right way."

Milloy issued an apology through his attorney on Monday, and he again apologized on Wednesday to his family, Falcons owner Arthur Blank, general manger Thomas Dimitroff, coach Mike Smith and Falcons fans.

Falcons players say they support Milloy.

"Those are personal issues and as a teammate you don't ever get involved in that," said linebacker Keith Brooking. "You let him know that you're there for him if he needs support in whatever way, and that's what teammates are about."

On Monday, Smith said the Falcons were "extremely disappointed" in the arrest, which the coach called "something that is completely unacceptable."

Milloy was with the first-team defense in Wednesday's practice.

"I thought it was a great practice, not just for Lawyer but for all of our guys," Smith said.

A four-time Pro Bowl selection, Milloy helped New England win its first Super Bowl in February 2002. He played three seasons with Buffalo before signing a three-year, $6 million deal with Atlanta before the 2006 season.

[Associated Press; By CHARLES ODUM]

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