NFL football is such a brutal game; it really does encourage its players to play in the most careless manner with complete disregard for human life. The best of those players gain massive contracts and huge followings. Many of those players who were arrested went right back into the sport, showing the various ways in which the NFL and teams responded to these scandals through suspension, ongoing support, and reintegration into the sport. Here are some players who faced legal troubles.
Orenthal James Simpson O.J. Simpson was an American football player, actor, and media personality; he played for the Buffalo Bills for 11 seasons. Most consider him one of the greatest running backs in the history of football. But even his successful career in professional football was eclipsed by his acquittal in a highly controversial criminal trial of the murders of his former wife, Nicole Brown, and her friend Ron Goldman in 1994.
Eric Naposki Eric Andrew Naposki was a former American professional football player who, in 2009, was arrested for murder in Newport Beach, California, of billionaire investor Bill McLaughlin. He did this in league with Nanette Johnston, McLaughlin's girlfriend and Naposki's lover, to collect on McLaughlin's life insurance. In 2011, Naposki was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life imprisonment without parole in August 2012.
Aaron HernandezAaron Josef Hernandez was an American Professional Football player who was accused of murdering Odin Lloyd, a semi-professional player. Upon release by the Patriots, in 2015 Hernandez was found guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison without parole. He was also indicted in the 2012 double murder of Daniel de Abreu and Safiro Furtado but got acquitted after a 2017 trial.
Robert RozierRobert Rozier, a St. Louis Cardinals NFL draft pick in 1979, started none of his six games as number 75. His career was short due to substance abuse and minor crimes. He joined the Nation of Yahweh during the 1980s and murdered at least four people. Charged, he turned state evidence against the group and its leader, and was sentenced to 22 years in prison. He was sentenced to 25 years-to-life under California's three-strikes law in 2001 after bouncing checks in 1999.
Ray LewisRaymond Anthony Lewis Jr. is a former American professional football linebacker who played his entire 17-year career in the NFL with the Baltimore Ravens and was a member of the Miami Hurricanes All-America selection. Many consider him to be one of the greatest defensive players of all time. In 2000, Lewis pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice in connection to the stabbing deaths of two men, which were ultimately determined to be an act of self-defense.
The TOI Sports Desk excels in a myriad of roles that capture the ...
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