At this point the New England Patriots should change their team colors from red, white, blue and silver to…orange jumpsuits. If this keeps going, more Patriots will be wearing prison uniforms than NFL uniforms soon enough.
Patriots cornerback Alfonzo Dennard was arrested for DUI Thursday in Nebraska while already on probation for assaulting a police officer. Remember character issues were a huge concern surrounding Dennard during his NFL Draft.
Dennard’s early-morning arrest in Lincoln, Neb., where he was a college star for the Cornhuskers, came 15 days after Aaron Hernandez was charged with murder and three days after Patriots owner Robert Kraft said the club will “be looking at our procedures and auditing how we do things” with regard to character reviews.
“The New England Patriots are extremely disappointed to learn of Alfonzo Dennard’s arrest. We take this matter very seriously and are working to get more information on the incident,” the New England Patriots PR said in a statement.
So much for THE PATRIOT WAY! A better theme for the New England Patriots would be “ain’t nuthin but a gangta party” #ThugLife
Dennard acquired a 30-day jail sentence for assault outside a Lincoln bar on Apr. 21, 2012. Right before he was drafted. He also was sentenced to two years of probation. Dennard begins his jail sentence in March. Aaron Hernandez, a star tight end, was arrested on June 26 and charged with murder in the killing of Odin Lloyd. Hernandez has pleaded not guilty. The Patriots cut Hernandez after he was arrested and before the charges were announced.
Dennard and Hernandez both were highly-touted college prospects whose draft stock dropped because of character concerns.
Seven days after being charged with assault, Dennard was drafted in the seventh round last year out of Nebraska by the Patriots. Entering the 2011 college football season, he was considered a round 2-3 prospect. They drafted Hernandez in the fourth round in 2010 after he violated the substance abuse policy at Florida. And you know all about how many guys got arrested at Florida under Urban Meyer.
Patriots training camp, which will hopefully keep their players out of legal trouble, begins on July 25.
Dennard became a starter at cornerback in the seventh game of his rookie season. Dennard was pulled over while driving just before 2 a.m. and failed a field sobriety test, police said. A phone listing for Dennard couldn’t be found. Terry Dougherty, Dennard’s attorney in the assault case, said in April that he would ask Lancaster County District Judge Stephanie Stacy to suspend the 30-day sentence if Dennard complied with the terms of his probation over the subsequent 11 months. Stacy said then that she would consider such a motion.
It’s unclear whether prosecutors will move to have Dennard’s probation revoked.
Paul M. Banks is the owner of The Sports Bank.net. (“Quasi-endorsed” by Philadelphia Eagles Coach Chip Kelly) He’s also an author who contributes regularly to MSN, Fox Sports , Chicago Now, Walter Football.com and Yardbarker
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