Desmond Howard feels blindsided by a photographer's lawsuit over his iconic 1991 Heisman pose, he tells Tresa Baldas of the Free Press.
Desmond Howard"It baffles me," Howard said. "It seems absurd that someone can come after you more than two decades after you've played your last down and sue you over your own likeness." . . .
The photographer who snapped the shot, which became one of most historic moments in college football history, is suing Howard, Sports Illustrated and a host of others, claiming they sold and copied his photo without asking, crediting or paying him.
Earlier, Baldas writes, he tweeted: "Without a doubt, I do plan to vigorously fight this."
In his interview, the former University of Michigan star tries to separate this case from others involving photographers who feel ripped off:
"I'm sympathetic to the rights of artists. But I'm also sympathetic to the rights of college athletes and their likeness.
"It's a picture of me, on my website. I'm not selling it. I'm not making any money off it. I've never sold that photo to anyone."
