Speaking of Prison Time...

With Michael Vick getting a second chance from a Prison Sentence, it made me think of how many Pro Athletes get put in Prison. I checked it out and as I suspected there were several, but what I didn't expect was how many different sports have had criminals and how long some of these athletes served time.

Sentenced (Not necessarily the time they served)

Darryl Henley - NFL (Rams) - 41 years (drug trafficking, conspiracy to commit murder)
O.J. Simpson - NFL (Bills) - 9 to 30 years (armed robbery)
Rae Carruth - NFL (Panthers) - 24 years (conspiracy to commit murder)
Stanley Wilson Sr. - NFL (Bengals) - 22 years (burglary)
Eugene "Mercury" Morris - NFL (Dolphins) - 20 years (drug trafficking)
Denny McLain - MLB (Tigers) - 12 years (drug trafficking, embezzlement)
8 years (theft, money laundering, mail fraud)
Bernard Hopkins - Boxing - 18 years (strong-arm robbery)
Art Schlichter - NFL (Colts) - 16 years (forgery, theft)
Cecil Collins - NFL (Dolphins) - 15 years (burglary)
Ugueth Urbina - MLB (Expos) - 14 years (attempted murder)
Dwayne Goodrich - NFL (Cowboys) - 12.5 years (criminally negligent homicide)
Tommy Morrison - Boxing - 10 years (drugs and weapons)
Lawrence Phillips - NFL (Rams) - 10 years (assault with a deadly weapon)

It amazes me to see professional athletes get arrested for burglary or drug trafficking. There are some cases when they run into hard times and need money, but that just means they weren't good with the money they earned or they didn't surround themselves with the right people. In any case, they need to take responibility for their own actions.

It's not odd that most of the athletes above are NFL players because in that sport they get alot of money quick and they play at the highest level right away. I was surprised not to see as many basketball players as they have the same problem. The MLB and NHL doesn't have as many cases, I believe, because they have minor league systems each player has to conquer before making it at the highest level. This system helps groom the athletes better for the big time. All sports should adopt a minor league system.

This doesn't mean those sports aren't immune to criminals within their realms, but it helps.

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