Tennessee Titans wide receiver Tajae Sharpe and offensive lineman Sebastian Tretola described a lawsuit accusing them of assault as "a blatant money grab" in a counterclaim filed Friday, the Tennessean reported.
Sharpe is accused of beating up Dante R. Satterfield outside a bar on April 27 while Tretola served as a lookout, according to a lawsuit filed in May. Satterfield refiled the lawsuit in Davidson County last month, according to WKRN-TV. Satterfield is seeking $500,000 in damages.
The two players request in countersuit that a jury trial be held and that they should be awarded damages.
Neither player has been charged for the alleged assault. The Tennessean reported that the Nashville Police Department was close to finishing its investigation last month and would send their findings to a grand jury.
Satterfield claimed in his lawsuit that he was assaulted after Sharpe became agitated following the Titans' selection of receiver Corey Davis with the fifth overall pick. Sharpe and Tretola, however, claim that they acted in self-defense.
Sharpe claims in the countersuit that he punched Satterfield after the man appeared ready to throw a punch at him. The countersuit states that Tretola then threw Satterfield against a wall after he ran toward him.
In May, however, Sharpe's agent, Blaine Roche, denied that his client was involved in the fight.
"The claims are false, period," Roche told ESPN. "Tajae categorically denies any and all involvement and looks forward to fully vindicating himself. Unfortunately, this is just a classic shakedown."
Satterfield's attorney, Alex Little, noted in a statement Friday that Sharpe is now contradicting himself.
"When my client sued Mr. Sharpe, his agent told the media that Sharpe 'wasn't even there at the time (my client) was allegedly beaten up.' In today's court filing, Sharpe changes his story entirely and says he was there but acted in self-defense. We are confident that an impartial jury will be able to make out what actually happened that night."