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Johnny Jolly – Deserving of Another Chance?

It’s been two years since Johnny Jolly last played in the NFL. After multiple drug possession arrests and convictions as he fought a codeine addiction, Jolly sat in a jail cell last November facing another 6 years in prison. Having received some breaks from the judicial system previously, Jolly would receive what will hopefully prove to be the biggest break of his life.

In May, Jolly asked for and was granted “shock probation” by a Houston judge. Shock probation can be granted to first-time prison attendees who can convince the judge that they’s been sufficiently “shocked” or “scared straight.” Jolly was re-sentenced to ten years probation and released.

Soon after, in early June, Jolly applied to the NFL for reinstatement and has heard nothing since. Of course NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has been busy dealing with some other minor distractions, namely Bountygate and the concussion lawsuits. But if Jolly wishes to have a chance to play this season, whether with the Packers (who still hold his rights) or another team, he needs to get into a training camp sooner rather than later.

For his part, Jolly talks of being eight months sober and how he has finally taken the steps to evaluate his life and find the right group of people to help him.  A cynic might say that we’ve heard this kind of talk before, but has his stay in prison coated those words with a new layer of truth?  Read more... (501 words + 3 images, estimated 2:00 mins reading time)

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Johnny Jolly has been released from prison on "shock" probation.

Johnny Jolly, a former defensive end for the Green Bay Packers, has been released from prison and given 10 years of “shock” probation by a judge in Houston, Texas.  This comes after serving only six months of a six-year sentence for numerous charges related to the controlled substance Codeine.

While I’m no legal expert, “shock” probation is given to first-time offenders who have been “shocked” by their prison experience, which would then hopefully bring about a change. Jolly gets 10 years of shock probation along with 200 hours of community service.

Jolly was originally drafted by the Packers in the sixth round of the 2006 NFL draft.  The two years before Jolly was suspended indefinitely by the NFL in 2010, he played in all 32 games and was a key contributor to the defense.

The chances of Jolly ever returning to the NFL or Green Bay are slim to none, but it is always encouraging when a human being makes a genuine change in their life.  Hopefully, this is just the beginning to a new life for Jolly.

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In an somewhat stunning development, Green Bay Packers defensive end Johnny Jolly will avoid going to prison following his arrest on March 26 for possession of codeine.

Jolly instead will receive a five-year deferred adjudication and have to get mandatory treatment, according to a tweet sent out by the Green Bay Press Gazette on Thursday.

@gbpressgazette gbpressgazette: Green Bay Packers defensive end Johnny Jolly gets another 2nd chance on codeine charge: 5-year deferred adjudication, mandatory treatment.

This wasn’t Jolly’s first run in with the law either.  He was suspended for the entire 2010 Super Bowl winning campaign after a 2008 arrest on a similar charge.  Jolly had applied for reinstatement with the NFL not onger after the conclusion of the 2010 season.

Despite Jolly’s good fortune in the courtroom, it is hard to imagine him coming back to the Packers in any circumstances once the lockout is lifted.  The Packers after all won a world championship without his services.  Throw in general manager Ted Thompson’s “Packer people” precedent and it seems all but certain Jolly’s days in Titletown are numbered.

Kris Burke is a freelance sports writer currently residing in Wisconsin. His work has been linked to by sites such as National Football Post and CBSSports.com. Follow @KrisLBurke

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