Lions, Niners, Bengals Interested In Pacman Jones

Monday, 29 March 2010 00:00

Talented but troubled cornerback Adam ‘Pacman’ Jones was once considered a future superstar in the NFL. That was before a spate of legal problems and often bizarre off field issues led to his suspension from the league. He was suspended most recently in 2008, and sat out the entire 2009 season after finding no interest for his services. With teams always in the market for a ‘shutdown’ cornerback, his agent claims that several teams—including the Detroit Lions, San Francisco 49ers and Cincinnati Bengals—have approached him expressing interest in Jones.

Jones played his college football at West Virginia, and quickly became an elite level talent in the NFL with the Tennessee Titans. He became feared around the league for his pass coverage and was also used to return kicks. In 2007, however, he was suspended by the NFL for a number of off field run ins with the law—the most severe being an incident at a Las Vegas strip club that led to a shooting which left a security guard for the club paralyzed. He was reinstated in 2008 and signed with the Dallas Cowboys, but quickly found himself in trouble again after getting into a fight at a nightclub with his own bodyguard. He was released by the team, and suspended once again by the league.

Since then he’s had something of a bizarre career path that has included professional wrestling and an abortive deal to play in the CFL with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. The Bombers rescinded their offer after Jones referred to the league they play in as the ‘United Football League’ in an Internet video. He’s since worked out with several teams, though none have produced anything more.

Jones’ personal trainer Duke Rousse says that his client ‘looks great’ and thinks that he’ll walk the straight and narrow should he get another opportunity in the NFL:

"I have a lot of kids that came from the same background that he's come from. And he basically preaches: 'Learn from your mistakes.' ... Just from a mentorship [standpoint], he's been awesome for the guys down here -- all my high school athletes."

So far all of the teams mentioned as having interest in Jones have denied the story categorically, though that is a ‘standard operating procedure’. The most realistic opportunity could come in Detroit, where the Lions need all of the help they can get and are coached by Jim Schwartz, who was Jones’ defensive coordinator with the Tennessee Titans.

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Lions, Niners, Bengals Interested In Pacman Jones

Lions, Niners, Bengals Interested In Pacman Jones

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