Trial date set for Jamal Lewis

ATLANTA, Aug. 12 (UPI) -- The drug conspiracy trial of Baltimore running back Jamal Lewis will begin in the middle of the 2004 NFL season.

A judge on Thursday set a trial date of Nov. 1. That will be after the eighth week of the league season, meaning Lewis could miss some action during the latter half of the campaign.

Lewis, the NFL's leading rusher last year, was indicted on federal drug charges last February. The indictment accuses Lewis of conspiring to distribute cocaine in 2000.

Lewis gained 2,066 yards last season, the second-best total in NFL history. He gained 295 yards against Cleveland on Sept. 14, an NFL record.