Man Sues Titans Receiver Sharpe, Lineman Tretola For Assault
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A man has filed a federal lawsuit alleging Titans wide receiver Tajae Sharpe assaulted him in an alley behind a bar the first night of the NFL draft upset at comments made about Sharpe's job security with the team.
Dante R. Satterfield is asking for at least $500,000 in damages in the lawsuit filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court.
After a conversation about the Titans drafting wide receiver Corey Davis at No. 5 overall, the lawsuit says Sharpe and Titans offensive lineman Sebastian Tretola told Satterfield to follow them outside through a back door. The lawsuit states that Tretola acted as a lookout while Sharpe beat Satterfield unconscious.
The lawsuit states that Satterfield was taken by ambulance to a local hospital after 911 was called, and he remained unconscious for more than 12 hours.
Satterfield suffered a concussion, broken bones in his face and a perforated eardrum. He met with police detectives Wednesday before the lawsuit was filed Wednesday afternoon.
The Titans said in a statement that they are aware of the lawsuit.
Satterfield's lawyer, Alex Little, told The Associated Press, "This case is not about the Tennessee Titans or the NFL. It's about two individuals who, for no good reason, seriously injured an innocent victim. We are seeking to hold them accountable for the harm they have caused."
Neither Sharpe's agent, Blaine Roche, nor Tretola's agent, Joe Panos, immediately returned messages left at their offices Thursday for comment. Roche told The Tennessean, which first reported the lawsuit, that the claims were ridiculous.
"Tajae unequivocally denies any and all involvement and he looks forward to vindicating his name, clearing his name of any and all wrongdoing here," Roche said.
Sharpe was the first player drafted in the fifth round in 2016, and the 6-foot-2, 194-pound receiver started 10 of the 16 games he played. He ranked fourth with 41 catches and third with 522 yards receiving. The 6-4 Tretola, a sixth-round pick out of Arkansas, played in one game as a rookie.
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