Payday for cab driver allegedly assaulted by Bucs player

St. Petersburg, FL - Only three days into his brand new job as a cab driver, David Duggan made a pickup at a Bay area night club.

"I had no idea who they were. They were just three big guys," said Duggan.

What Duggan did not know was that when he picked up those big guys at St. Petersburg's Nova Club, it would change his life forever.

"I'm just driving, minding my own business," recounts Duggan. "All of a sudden, out of the blue, bam!"

That bam was a blow to the head. Duggan says his assailant was Tampa Bay Buccaneer Aqib Talib, who was sitting in the back of the cab when he punched Duggan in the head.

Talib was a 2008 first round draft pick, known for his talent and temper.

Authorities arrested Talib that night for Simple Battery, a misdemeanor.

"My head and my ear were ringing. He's lucky he didn't knock me out and kill us all," said Duggan.

While he walked away from the incident, Duggan says, the pain got worse. So, he went to the hospital. "My doctor found dried blood in this ear and fluid in this ear and herniated and bulging discs in my neck."

He showed us X-rays where his spine is supposed to be straight. "As you come up [my spine] here, you see one, two, three discs that are bulging," explained Duggan.

Duggan says he racked up about $15,000 in medical bills.

"I got upset, so I called up the Buccaneers and said somebody's got to pay for this."

He says he hasn't able to work for the past four months, forcing him to go on food stamps until this week, when Duggan and Talib reached an agreement. While Duggan says he's not allowed to divulge the details, he said, "If I play my cards right, I won't have to work for anyone else the rest of my life."

Duggan says he is going to use his settlement money to take his fiancee to Hawaii, buy his first home, and then he's going to start his own carpet-cleaning business.

10 Connects contacted the Buccaneers, trying to get in touch with Talib, but we have not heard back.

Meanwhile, this so-called settlement, has nothing to do with any criminal charges that the State Attorney's office could file.