WASHINGTON, Aug 1, 2007 (AFP) - Former US defense secretary Donald Rumsfeld Wednesday denied the Pentagon had mounted a cover-up over the 'friendly fire' death of American footballer-turned soldier Pat Tillman.

Rumsfeld braved a congressional hearing for the first-time since resigning last year, to testify about claims military brass disguised the fact that Tillman was accidently gunned down in 2004 in Afghanistan by fellow US soldiers.

'I know that I would not engage in a cover-up,' Rumsfeld told the House of Representatives Oversight and Government Reform Committee.

BEAVERTON, Oregon, July 27, 2007 (AFP) - Nike and Reebok have suspended the sale of Michael Vick merchandise as the embattled Atlanta Falcons quarterback prepares to face charges of illegal dogfighting.

'Nike has suspended Michael Vick's contract without pay, and will not sell any more Michael Vick product at Nike owned retail at this time,' a statement from the sports equipment manufacturing giant said Friday.

ST. LOUIS, Missouri, July 27, 2007 (AFP) - The St. Louis Rams inked Mark Bulger to a six-year contract extension on Friday that will reportedly make him one of the National Football League's highest-paid quarterbacks.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported the deal is worth more than 10 million dollars per season and includes 26 million dollars in guaranteed money.

The deal would leave Bulger behind Peyton Manning, Carson Palmer, embattled Michael Vick, Tom Brady and Brett Favre as quarterbacks who make 10 million dollars per year.

RICHMOND, Virginia, July 26, 2007 (AFP) - American football star Michael Vick and three other men pleaded innocent to federal dogfighting conspiracy charges here Thursday with a jury trial start date set for November 26.

While Vick`s Atlanta Falcons teammates were starting their National Football League pre-season training camp, the 27-year-old quarterback began a legal fight to avoid a possible five-year prison term and 350,000 dollars in fines.

RICHMOND, Virginia, July 26, 2007 (AFP) - American football star Michael Vick and three other men pleaded innocent to federal dogfight conspiracy charges here Thursday with a jury trial start date set for November 26.

While Vick`s Atlanta Falcons teammates were starting their pre-season training camp, the 27-year-old quarterback was being booed by hundreds of onlookers as he walked into the federal courtroom.

'I take the charges very seriously and look forward to clearing my good name,' Vick said in a prepared statement read by his attorney, Billy Martin.

ATLANTA, Georgia, July 25, 2007 (AFP) - The Atlanta Falcons, already coping with quarterback Michael Vick`s legal woes, have suffered another blow, announcing Wednesday that running back Warrick Dunn Dunn had back surgery.

The announcement on Dunn came a day before Vick was scheduled to be arraigned on federal dogfighting charges. Vick has been told to stay away from training camp, which begins Thursday.

KANSAS CITY, Missouri, July 25, 2007 (AFP) - Running back Priest Holmes, sidelined last season with neck and shoulder injuries, told the the Kansas City Chiefs on Wednesday he wants to resume his National Football League career.

He missed the final nine games of the 2005 campaign due to neck and shoulder injuries, but has now passed a physical and is ready to resume football activities.

ATLANTA, Georgia, July 24, 2007 (AFP) - Calling the dogfighting charges against Michael Vick horrific and repulsive, Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank said on Tuesday he was ready to suspend his star quarterback for four games.

Vick was instead ordered on Monday by National Football League commissioner Roger Goodell not to report to the team`s training camp this Thursday, when he will be arraigned in a Virginia federal court on dogfight scheme charges.

ATLANTA, Georgia, July 24, 2007 (AFP) - Calling the dogfighting charges against Michael Vick horrific and repulsive, Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank said Tuesday he was ready to suspend his star quarterback for four games.

Vick was instead ordered on Monday by National Football League commissioner Roger Goodell not to report to the team`s training camp this Thursday, when he will be arraigned in a Richmond, Virginia, federal court on dogfight scheme charges.

ATLANTA, Georgia, July 23, 2007 (AFP) - Michael Vick, indicted last week for his role in a dogfighting ring, was ordered Monday not to report to Atlanta Falcons training camp by National Football League commissioner Roger Goodell.

The star quarterback faces charges from a federal grand jury in Virginia on Thursday, the same day his American football teammates begin pre-season workouts for the upcoming gridiron season.

ATLANTA, Georgia, July 23, 2007 (AFP) - Michael Vick was ordered by National Football League commissioner Roger Goodell not to report to Atlanta Falcons training camp this week, Fox Sports and ESPN reported Monday.

The mandate, according to the reports, would not affect any bonus money that Vick might be owed or risk as a result of not attending camp on time.

The Falcons are set to open training camp on Thursday, the same day Vick faces a hearing on federal conspiracy charges in connection with a dogfighting ring. He was among four men indicted last week in the affair.

ATLANTA, Georgia, July 23, 2007 (AFP) - Michael Vick will not face new state indictments on dogfighting charges even as the American football star faces federal counts in the affair, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported Monday.

Virginia commonwealth attorney Gerald Poindexter told the newspaper that he will not seek an indictment of the Atlanta Falcons quarterback on Tuesday when a Surry County grand jury meets but he could when it meets again in September.

WASHINGTON, July 23, 2007 (AFP) - National Football League veterans began reporting to league training camps on Monday, kicking off the six-month Super Bowl quest for players chasing a gridiron championship.

The Pittsburgh Steelers veterans and newcomers both arrived at their Latrobe, Pennsylvania, workout facility on Monday with the other 31 NFL clubs set to have veteran players arrive all week at camps scattered across US sites.