JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Former New Orleans Saints running back Deuce McAllister filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Tuesday for a car dealership he owns in Mississippi. Nissan’s financing division says in a federal court filing that the free agent owes more than $6.6 million, nearly $300,000 in interest, plus other fees, after McAllister defaulted on a deal with the company, then exceeded his credit line. McAllister said the bankruptcy filing is an attempt to hold on to his assets and he’s looking for partners to help return him to solvency. “It’s basically the tough economic times that we’re in,” McAllister told The Associated Press. “(The difficulty) was pretty much standard over the last eight months, not only with gas prices, but with credit.” The 2001 first-round draft pick was released by the Saints in a salary cap move last month. He was due $7 million next season. McAllister owns a luxury vehicle dealership along with the Nissan outlet in Mississippi’s capital city, but says the second business is not part of the bankruptcy filing. The former Mississippi standout is the sole owner of Deuce McAllister Nissan of Jackson LLC. He is seeking investors, but declined to give details about negotiations to purchase a share of the business. In a civil suit filed Feb. 20, Nissan claims it discovered during a July audit that McAllister had defaulted on payments of more than $560,000 owed to the company. The debt grew by $300,000 less than two weeks later. The company also claimed McAllister exceeded his credit limit for new, used and demonstration vehicles by more than $1.6 million. McAllister said 95 percent of the debt Nissan alluded to is unsold vehicles sitting on the lot. He added that reports the vehicles were being tagged and repossessed are untrue. “We’re still open, we’re still functioning, we’re still a viable place for customers,” he said. The running back is one of the state’s most popular personalities and his business ventures enjoy a high visibility. He is the career rushing leader for both Ole Miss and the Saints and holds the NFL club’s records for touchdowns (55) and rushing touchdowns (49). He has rushed for 1,000 yards four times in his pro career and was selected to the Pro Bowl in 2002 and 2003. McAllister is confident he will sign with a new team during the offseason. He said there has been interest, but he is holding off on negotiating a deal until he has recovered from arthroscopic knee surgery and can work out for potential suitors. He also said he was confident he would save the dealership and noted that times are tough for many entrepreneurs. “It affects me personally because it’s my company,” McAllister said. “I saw Donald Trump filed bankruptcy for his casino.”
 
 
 
—-
Contact The Daily Reveille’s sports staff at [email protected]