Ex-NCSU player regrets I-40 spin

RALEIGH -- Mario Williams, the first overall pick in the NFL's 2006 draft, has apologized for a video posted online that shows him driving his Lamborghini at what appears to be high speed on Interstate 40 and weaving through traffic.

The video was made when he was in Raleigh for N.C. State's spring football game last weekend.

Williams, 22, a former Wolfpack defensive lineman and Richlands native drafted by the Houston Texans, told the Houston Chronicle that it was "a stupid thing to do."

"I apologize to the fans, the organization and my teammates for not being smart," Williams told the newspaper. "I shouldn't have put myself in that situation, and I have definitely learned my lesson."

A Texans spokesman said Thursday night the team was aware of the incident but declined to comment otherwise. Williams and his agent, Ben Dogra of St. Louis, could not be reached for comment Friday.

Williams paid a $100 fine for speeding in North Carolina in 2004 and a $110 fine for driving without a license in 2005, according to public records.

In the 10-minute video, which was removed from YouTube but has been posted elsewhere since, he drives his orange Lamborghini on I-40, at one point accelerating through traffic as the sports car's engine roars and his female passenger screams. Another driver, presumably the originator and poster of the video, follows Williams in a Subaru.

In the opening moments of the video, Williams says he's in town for the Red & White Game and had the Lamborghini shipped from Texas after the NFL season. (Williams parked the Lamborghini outside Carter-Finley Stadium on Saturday during the scrimmage.)

As he drives on I-40, he passes a truck as his passenger yells, "You're a stupid [expletive] for making him race you. I hope you know that." At that point, the passenger says Williams is driving 80 mph.

Later portions of the video show an orange Lamborghini darting through traffic.

Lt. Everett Clendenin of the state Highway Patrol said the patrol would not pursue charges based on a video clip alone -- unless it was witnessed by an officer or resulted in a collision.

Speaking about the Williams video, Raleigh police spokesman Jim Sughrue said, "In this case, before I could comment, we'll have to further review the video."

Asked if a review was ongoing or forthcoming, Sughrue referred to his previous statement.

In past weeks, the NFL has taken a hard line on off-field incidents, suspending Tennessee Titans cornerback Adam "Pacman" Jones for the entire season in the wake of a triple shooting at a Las Vegas strip club. And Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chris Henry was suspended for eight games after he was arrested four times in a 14-month span.

An NFL spokesman said Friday the league would not comment on any discipline for Williams.

(Staff writer Robbi Pickeral and news researcher Lamara Williams-Hackett contributed to this report.)