Ed Betz, Associated Press Defensive end John Abraham has been tagged as the New York Jets franchise player. Click photo for larger image.

Reggie Fowler apologized yesterday for misleading the public about his background and reiterated he has the money to buy the Minnesota Vikings.

The Arizona businessman, poised to become the NFL's first black owner, has an agreement to purchase the club from Red McCombs -- pending league approval.

Fowler met with the Twin Cities media to accept responsibility for inaccuracies in a biography distributed earlier this week by a public relations firm he's using. He also attempted to repair his image and pledged his sincerity and passion to fans.

His original bio claimed he played in the NFL with the Cincinnati Bengals, in the Canadian Football League with the Calgary Stampeders and in the Little League World Series as an 11-year-old.

Fowler, a star linebacker at Wyoming, was cut in training camp by the Bengals and also by the Edmonton Eskimos -- not the Stampeders. Clarifying the Little League confusion, Fowler said he played with an all-star team at a tournament in California that was called the World Series.

Though he refused to declare any parts of the botched bio embellishments or deceptions, Fowler acknowledged that he intentionally doctored his resume years ago -- to show he graduated from Wyoming with a degree in business administration and an emphasis in finance.

Fowler, who took business classes but actually received a degree in social work, said he fudged his resume after graduating in the early 1980s to look better for prospective employers.

As for the CFL confusion? Fowler said he remembered Thursday -- by looking at a W-2 form -- that he reported to Calgary initially before being sent to Edmonton, where he was cut after a brief stint.

The biography came from his office in Chandler, Ariz., where Fowler runs Spiral, Inc., a diverse business that has numerous real-estate holdings and owns companies in several industries, including broadcasting, aviation and manufacturing.

Estimating the last time he created a resume was more than 20 years ago, Fowler said the errors -- other than the degree discrepancy -- came from oversights and said there was no intent to deceive.

"When you don't pay attention to what you put out," Fowler said, "you're subject to errors. I'm a perfect example of that."

He repeated his desire to live in Minnesota, something McCombs didn't do, and insisted that his ownership group has no plans to move the franchise.

He again declined to reveal his net worth or confirm any reports about his company's revenues.

But Fowler said he and his limited partners are wealthy enough to complete the transaction. He insisted the NFL and McCombs are satisfied with his financial condition after 10 months of research.

New York Jets

New York designated defensive end John Abraham as its franchise player yesterday with a one-year deal worth $6.7 million.

Abraham was second on the Jets with 9 1/2 sacks last season despite missing the team's final four games with a knee injury. He was voted to the Pro Bowl, although the injury kept him out of the game.

Bears

Chicago wide receiver David Terrell pleaded guilty yesterday to negligent driving.

The plea was part of a deal with prosecutors, who agreed to reduce a reckless-driving charge, said a Cook County state's attorney spokesman. He said Terrell also pleaded guilty to driving on a suspended license, failure to stay in his lane and failure to yield.

Terrell was fined $1,050 and placed on court supervision for six months.

Buccaneers

Former Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Akili Smith has signed with Tampa Bay. Smith was the third player selected in the 1999 draft, but only appeared in 22 games -- with 17 starts -- in four seasons with the Bengals.

Redskins

Washington linebacker Lemar Marshall, who started 14 games last season after LaVar Arrington's knee surgery, signed a three-year contract yesterday worth about $2 million to remain with the Redskins.

Browns

Mel Tucker, an Ohio State assistant coach the past four seasons, joined Cleveland's staff yesterday as defensive backs coach. Tucker, a Cleveland native, is the latest addition to new coach Romeo Crennel's staff. Tucker coached the Buckeyes' defensive backs, serving as a co-defensive coordinator for Jim Tressel last season.