The news that New York Jets corner back Darrelle Revis was arrested and charged with felony aggravated assault and robbery for his alleged involvement in an altercation that took place in Pittsburgh in February 2017 is yet another reminder of the criminal problems that befall many NFL players. Over the years, numerous professional football players have been charged with some truly heinous crimes. And while many players have subsequently been acquitted or had the charges dropped, other have been sentenced to prison for the rest of their lives. It is a sad state of affairs for many of these athletes, especially when you consider the ridiculous money they earned and the lifestyle they enjoyed before throwing it all away with a criminal conviction. While we wait to find out the fate of Revis, here is a list of 10 other NFL players who were charged with truly terrible crimes.
10. Michael Vick: Dog Fighting
We’ll start off with a player and situation that actually had a somewhat happy ending. Michael Vick was riding high when his world came crashing down on him in 2007. The former Atlanta Falcons quarterback, who had a $100 million contract under his belt, was arrested in August 2007 for running an illegal dog fighting ring at his house in Virginia called “Bad Newz Kennels.” The case drew widespread publicity and brought attention to the issue of animal cruelty. Vick was charged with illegal dog fighting, gambling, and brutal executions of dogs. Vick served 23 months in jail and was suspended by the NFL. Fortunately, this story has a positive outcome, as Vick seemed to generally rehabilitate himself and emerged from the experience a changed person. He was able to resume his NFL career in 2009 and played for the Eagles, Jets, and then the Steelers (often as a back-up quarterback) before officially retiring in February 2017. He has also begun working to help authorities eliminate dog fighting, in an attempt to make amends for his actions.
(AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari, POOL)