KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning could be headed to court next spring. A judge ruled Monday that the defamation lawsuit against Manning can go forward. The suit was filed by a female trainer about an incident in 1996. Steve Overmyer of CNN Sports has the details.</s>STEVE OVERMYER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The Manning name is revered in the annals of football fame, but the sparkling image of the Mannings may soon be tarnished. Colts quarterback Peyton Manning, along with his father, Archie, himself a former NFL signal caller, face a defamation suit over a written account of an incident that took place before Peyton's junior season at Tennessee seven years ago. Jamie Ann Naughright, a former assistant trainer, claims that once, while she was examining Peyton for pain in one of his feet, Manning dropped his pants and proceeded to sit on her face and head. In August of 1998, the trainer agreed to leave Tennessee as part of a settlement related to this incident. End of story, right? Wrong. Now the matter has resurfaced and by the Mannings' own hand. In their co-authored book "Manning: A Father, His Sons and a Football Legacy," Peyton's account of the incident differs from Naughright's. His version is that the episode was crude, but harmless. She claims, however, the book casts her in an unflattering light and has cost her her job and her reputation. Selected by the Colts as the top overall pick in is the 1998 NFL draft, about the only hit Peyton Manning has faced to date is from opposing defensive linemen. Now Manning's wallet and, more importantly, his squeaky-clean image, are in danger of taking an bigger hit. For CNN Sports, I'm Steve Overmyer.
Peyton Manning Lawsuit Moves Forward