Cowboys Lineman Josh Brent Jailed After Failed Drug Tests
Dallas Cowboys nose tackle Josh Brent is in a Dallas jail cell after testing positive for marijuana.
Any drug or alcohol use is reportedly a violation of his bond agreement. The Dallas NBC affiliate reports hat he was tested on June 19 and June 25 and failed both times. He surrendered to authorities on Thursday. Brent is due back in court on July 19 on a bail-revocation hearing. The defensive linesman reportedly also failed a drug test in May.
Brent, 25, was out on bail that was set at $100,000 as a result of being charged with intoxication manslaughter in a December 8 one-car accident in his Mercedes that killed passenger Jerry Brown, a Dallas Cowboys practice squad member. The trial on this charge is scheduled to being in late September. Brent’s blood alcohol level was 0.18 at the time of his arrest, more than twice the legal limit.
He could face up to 20 years behind bars if convicted on the intoxication manslaughter charge.
Brent is still a member of the Cowboys and is currently on the team’s 90-man roster. According to ESPN, “the Cowboys have no immediate plans to part ways with him.” About Brent’s present and future status with the Cowboys, NFL.com adds that “Brent is expected to be suspended by the NFL, and Dallas wants to retain his rights in the event he is able to play again.”
The former University of Illinois football player took over the Cowboy’s starting nose tackle due to the injury of Jay Ratliff. Brent was drafted by the Cowboys in the seventh round in the 2010 supplemental NFL draft. Brent has appeared in 39 games for Dallas and over his NFL career so far has 31 tackles, 1.5 sacks, and one forced fumble.
Following this accident, the Dallas Cowboys allowed Brent to watch the team play from the sidelines, a move that angered many observers. Following his single-game sideline appearance, the team announced that Brent would be banned for the remained of the 2012-2013 NFL season.
