Pacman Jones To Be Used As Cautionary Tale For NFL Rookies
Pacman Jones could be a good example for young NFL players on how not to act off the field, and league officials hope the Cincinnati Bengals cornerback can teach them to avoid the problems he hasn’t been able to.
Jones, who has frequently been in trouble with the law, has been tapped to speak to NFL rookies for a second straight year. Troy Vincent, who serves as the league’s vice president of player engagement, said Pacman had a great impact on the rookies last year and was asked to come back again.
“You are not going to trick an athlete,” Vincent told the Cincinnati Enquirer. “They know when it is dressed up and not real,” Vincent told the newspaper. “When you can sit among your peers and just talk about your life, someone is learning from that. They can look at him and see themselves from the way they look to where they have originated.”
Jones was arrested last week after an altercation at a Cincinnati Reds game.
According to Pro Football Talk, Jones was approached by two women who wanted an autograph, but he turned them down. One of the women then allegedly threw a beer bottle at Pacman Jones, leading him to turn and slap the woman.
Jones was arrested the next morning after the woman reported the incident to police.
“If it was anybody other than Adam Jones, they would have investigated it,” said his agent, Peter Schaffer. “If it was anybody other than Adam Jones, they wouldn’t have arrested him.”
Pacman Jones was arrested in January 2012 on a misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct, accused of shouting profanities and trying to flee police officers as they arrested him outside a Cincinnati bar.
Jones was also ordered to pay $11 million in damages to two employees at a Las Vegas strip club. The employees were hurt when a gunman working at Pacman’s request opened fire.
Pacman Jones will address NFL rookies at the annual symposium for first-year players, held June 23-20. The symposium also has former Ohio State running back Maurice Clarett as a speaker.
