Gonzalez: Pro Bowl fitting encore
KAPOLEI, Hawaii — Atlanta Falcons tight end Tony Gonzalez thought he was done playing football just a few weeks ago. Now, he says he’s getting an ideal finish to his career with his 14th Pro Bowl.
Gonzalez said after practicing Friday that it’s now up to players to put on an entertaining game to create a higher quality Pro Bowl.
Gonzalez said players have to balance the game’s demands with the need to stay healthy for their own teams and fans.
Dallas Cowboys tight end Jason Witten said he’s learned a lot from Gonzalez over his nine selections to the all-star game. He said Gonzalez has changed the way tight ends are used around the league.
Gonzalez and Witten are the two most veteran Pro Bowlers set to play Sunday.
Report released on Sharper allegation
NEW ORLEANS — An attorney for former NFL star Darren Sharper says there is no evidence to support an allegation that he sexually assaulted a woman in New Orleans last September.
Nandi Campbell said Friday her investigation shows the woman in the complaint followed Sharper willingly throughout the evening of the alleged assault. And, Campbell stressed that Sharper has not been charged in the New Orleans complaint.
Asked for information on the Sharper investigation, New Orleans police Friday released a brief report.
It said the unidentified woman said she was assaulted by a man who took her to his apartment the night of Sept. 23 after she consumed a large amount of alcohol. The report does not name Sharper, but Campbell confirmed that he is the subject of the report.
Ex-Cowboy Brent gets 180 days in jail
DALLAS — Former Dallas Cowboys player Josh Brent avoided prison Friday and instead was sentenced to 180 days in jail and 10 years of probation for a drunken car crash that killed his friend and teammate, Jerry Brown.
Brent was convicted Wednesday of intoxication manslaughter for the December 2012 crash on a suburban Dallas highway that killed Brown, who was a passenger in Brent’s car. Brent could have been sentenced to up to 20 years in prison. He was also fined $10,000.
Brent, 25, closed his eyes when the judge read the jury’s verdict. He was kept in custody after the hearing.
One of his attorneys, Kevin Brooks, described the former defensive tackle as “somber.”
“I’m really kind of overwhelmed with the results,” Brooks said. “It’s kind of what we’ve been fighting for from Day 1. I’m happy for Josh. Josh is still sad and grieving and that’s something he’s going to carry with him the rest of his life.”
By wire sources