Johnny Jolly is not only a suspended Green Bay Packers defensive lineman, he’s also now a new resident of the prison system after being sentenced on Thursday to six years in prison for violating his probation over a former drug conviction.
The sentence was handed down by State District Judge Denise Bradley after Jolly and his mother, Phyllis Jolly, made tearful pleas for his release. Jolly’s mother asked that he be treated for his codeine addiction rather than be placed behind bars. Also speaking for the NFL player were his agent and drug counselor.
In his plea to the judge Jolly said:
“I want to go to rehab to get help.”
Jolly, 28, was pulled over during a traffic stop in Houston back in October, at that time he attempted to hide the substance which only led to a further charge of tampering with evidence. The NFL player was pulled over after he was seen throwing a bag out the window, he was then witnessed dumping a cup containing codeine on the floor.
The October arrest came just six months after Jolly plead guilty in April to codeine possession which wiped out an earlier charge and spared him from prison.
Jolly spent 8-weeks in court ordered rehab after his second arrest. His attorney said of their client:
“I don’t look at Johnny as a criminal … I look at him as an addict.”
A sixth-round draft pick Johnny Jolly was a starter for the Green Bay Packers in 2008 and 2009 but sat out the entire 2010 season due to an indefinite suspension.
