Though living the life of a professional football player certainly carries perks, it also carries a lot of risk. In addition to facing the threat of injury on the field, some athletes deal with the realities of drug addiction off the field. Johnny Jolly, Houston resident and former Texas A&M standout, recently received a sentencing reprieve for drug offenses he was convicted of last year.
According to police reports, Jolly, who was played for the Packers, was arrested for possession of substances containing codeine, a violation of his probation for a 2008 drug-related incident. He was arrested by law enforcement officials after a routine traffic stop apparently revealed the NFL star had illegal substances in his vehicle.
For the probation violation, Jolly was sentenced to six years in prison. A few months after his sentence began, he applied for “shock probation.” This provision allows those serving a prison sentence to be released early due to the trauma associated with incarceration. Granting the legal motion, the judge ordered Jolly to face 10 years of probation and 200 hours of community service.
Jolly has not played professional football since the 2009 season when he was suspended indefinitely by the league for the drug offenses.
For many people, drug addiction is a struggle that takes place over the course of many years. Unfortunately, the former starting defensive end was not immune from the effects of drug addiction and, as a result, is still facing serious legal consequences.
The hope is that Jolly will be able to use this opportunity to tackle his substance-abuse problems. According to reports, he realizes that he made a mistake and the time he spent in prison really opened his eyes to his situation. His legal representation was attuned to his situation and worked to protect his rights by helping him a sentencing modification to better suit the nature of the drug charges.
Source: ESPN, “Johnny Jolly given ‘shock’ probation,” May 16, 2012