JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Former Jacksonville Jaguars offensive lineman Jeff Novak was awarded $5.3 million Friday in a malpractice lawsuit against a former team doctor.

The jury deliberated more than three hours before ruling against Dr. Stephen Lucie and his employer, Jacksonville Orthopedic Institute. Novak's attorney, Patrick Dekle, had asked the jury for $7.8 million, claiming that an infection following surgery ended Novak's NFL career in 1998.

"The case was done for the right reasons,'' Dekle told the Florida Times-Union of Jacksonville. "It wasn't about money. Jeff had the courage to face his convictions.''

Novak suffered a deep bone bruise in his leg during a preseason practice in July 1998.

His attorney argued that improper treatment of the injury led to infections and complications, and that Novak woke up in a pool of blood about 2 feet in diameter before a preseason game in which he played about three quarters.

Novak continued to bleed after the game, and despite pleas to be taken to the hospital, Lucie told him to board an airplane home for Jacksonville, Dekle said.

When they returned home, Lucie performed surgery to drain Novak's knee in a team training room.

Dekle argued that the training room was unsterile and that the doctor's decision to have the surgery there caused the infection that led to Novak's retirement after the 1998 season.

Lucie testified that his treatment of Novak was appropriate and didn't cause any permanent injury.

Brett Lucas, Lucie's attorney, argued that his client's decisions had not deviated from the accepted standard of care -- a criterion juries use in deciding malpractice cases.

Lucie was the Jaguars' team doctor from the franchise's inception in 1995 through Jan. 30, 2001, when he retired to spend more time with his family and focus on private practice.

The Jaguars were not named in the suit because Lucie served as an independent contractor and had final say on all medical matters.

Novak, 34, lives in Georgetown, Texas, with his wife and four children. He runs a software e-communications business with former Jaguars quarterback Will Furrer.