Michael Irvin and Erik Williams deny sexual assault allegations

Jet, Jan 20, 1997

Police are investigating a 23-year-old woman's claim that Dallas Cowboys football star Michael Irvin held her at gunpoint while his teammate Erik Williams and another man, raped her.

Irvin and Williams have denied the woman's accusations.

The third man allegedly involved had not been identified at press time.

Irvin, already on probation after pleading no contest in July to cocaine possession charges, told reporters, "I don't know anything about it."

"I have not done anything in any way, shape, or form to violate my probation," Irvin said. "I'm tired of it. I've done enough bad things to my family and my teammates. But in this case, I have done nothing."

Williams told reporters, "I've been falsely accused. I'm looking forward to the truth coming out as soon as possible. I'm not a bad person. I realize the responsibility and the privileges that it takes to being a Dallas Cowboy. I'm looking forward to the truth coming out."

No charges had been filed against either of the men at press time. Dallas police said it could take "several days to several weeks" to finish their investigation.

Irvin allegedly doesn't appear on a videotape that authorities seized from Williams' home. The tape reportedly shows Williams having sex with the woman who accused him of rape, the Dallas Morning News reported at press time.

An unidentified police source told the newspaper that Irvine does not appear on the videotape but that police detectives intend to submit voices on the tape to a sophisticated analysis.

Sources previously told the Associated Press that the woman told police Irvin videotaped at least part of the alleged incident.

Investigators have not determined from the tape whether the alleged encounter between Williams and the woman was rape or consensual sex, the source told the newspaper.

Dallas police spokesman Ed Spencer said he could not comment about any evidence in the case.

Meanwhile, Dallas Police Lt. David Goelden said the woman, an alleged acquaintance of Williams, told police that she had been forced to have sex at gunpoint with two men at Williams, home. According to the police report, the man holding the gun was Irvin. The woman apparently didn't know who the third man was, according to the report.

Williams' attorney, Peter Ginsberg, said Irvin was not at Williams, house the night of the alleged incident.

"Michael Irvin has not been at Erik Williams' house for over a year and a half," Ginsberg said.

One of Irvin's attorneys, Anthony Lyons, told the Fort Worth StarTelegram his client spent most of the evening in question at the Cowboys Sports Cafe, near team headquarters.

The Dallas Morning News reported that the woman's estranged 22-year-old husband said he doubts her story. The man, who was not identified, said she has twice falsely accused men of sexual assault without telling police.

"It seems very reasonable that she is making this up," the woman's estranged husband said. "She accused me of doing this, and she accused her fiance before me of doing this."

Meanwhile, just several days after the allegations were made public, Irvin broke his collar bone in the first quarter of Dallas' 26-17 playoff loss to the Carolina Panthers. The Cowboys lost Irvine on their second offensive play when he was tackled after catching a 22-yard pass.

Irvine returned to the bench area in the second half with his arm in a sling and watched the rest of the defeat.