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Packers defensive lineman Johnny Jolly is in some trouble. So much trouble in fact that the NFL has suspended him "indefinitely", according to Greg Bedard of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The suspension will last "at least" through the 2010.
The suspension stems from an arrest for codeine back in July of 2008. The original charges were dropped shortly before a scheduled trial only to be refiled a short time later with plenty of more evidence. In June, Bedard reported the following:
Among those alleged extraneous offenses: That Jolly "bought, sold, funded, transported and aided in the buying, selling, funding and transportation of illegal narcotics including cocaine and marijuana" in Harris County from 2006 through May 2008.
The prosecutor also intends to introduce evidence that during the same period, Jolly was seen smoking marijuana and consuming liquid codeine; that Jolly "showed deception" during a polygraph test this month when asked about his use of alcohol, marijuana and street narcotics while on bond since December 15; and that he has attended nightclubs and bars and consumed alcohol since December, in violation of his bond.
So Jolly's offenses went from a fairly standard arrest for codeine to allegedly a major player in the Houston drug game.
It's interesting that one of the substances at play here is codeine because it's the same substance for which JaMarcus Russell was arrested. That arrest helped uncover the underground popularity of "Purple Drank" which is a codeine-based drink apparently popular among some athletes.
The Packers released a statement on Jolly's suspension:
"Johnny is a good player that loves everything about the game of football. We appreciate the contributions he has made to the Packers the past four seasons. His focus and priorities now lie elsewhere – our thoughts are with him during this difficult personal time."
For the NFL to hand down such a drastic suspension absent a conviction, you can probably assume they're aware of more information regarding Jolly's innocence (or lack thereof) than the rest of us.
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Johnny Jolly's Suspension Is For Violating The NFL's Substance Abuse Policy
Complete details of Johnny Jolly's suspension haven't surfaced but Jason La Canfora of NFL Network has a few to offer up:
At this point, ti's not clear if Jolly's suspension is directly related to his trial or not. Violating the substance abuse policy could mean failing one of the NFL's drug tests. The prosecution in the drug charges intend to prove he "bought, sold, funded, transported and aided in the buying, selling, funding and transportation of illegal narcotics including cocaine and marijuana" in Harris County from 2006 through May 2008.
Meanwhile, La Canfora wonders whether this might be the end for Jolly.
Jul 16 5:38p by Joel Thorman - 0 comments