dotty blah: NFL notebook: Cowboys DT Brent retires, faces charges in fatal crash

Saturday, July 20, 2013

NFL notebook: Cowboys DT Brent retires, faces charges in fatal crash

By Tribune-Review

Published: Thursday, July 18, 2013, 8:09?p.m.
Updated 2 hours ago

Cowboys defensive tackle Josh Brent retired from football Thursday, saying ?doing the right things in life? is more important as he prepares to defend himself against a manslaughter charge in the drunken-driving crash that killed a teammate.

Brent said he had ?given a lot of thought? to his decision. His football career has been on hold since the Dec. 8 crash that killed Jerry Brown, a practice squad player, college teammate and close friend.

?I am at a point where my main focus is all about getting the priorities in my life in order,? Brent said in a statement. ?Those priorities are more important than football. Doing the right things in life are more important than football. I love the game very much. I love my teammates, but this is the right thing for me to do.?

Brent is charged with intoxication manslaughter and faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted, though he could also get probation.

? Colts tight end Weslye Saunders was suspended eight games without pay after violating the league's policy on performance-enhancing substances. He won't be eligible again until Nov. 4. Before joining the Colts, Saunders spent one season with the Steelers.

? Maurice Jones-Drew tweeted that he was joking when he said on SiriusXM that one of his former Jaguars teammates, Greg Jones, almost failed to block for him on a play because they were facing each other in fantasy football that week, ESPN.com reported. ?Stop the madness!! Listen to the broadcast...it was a JOKE people...made during the Sirius fantasy draft,? Jones-Drew tweeted.

? Trading card company Panini removed stickers of former tight end Aaron Hernandez from 500,000 of its sticker books, according to an ESPN.com report. Panini, which sells packs of stickers, is offering to send a sticker of new Patriots quarterback Tim Tebow to collectors who find a Hernandez sticker.

? The Santa Clara County District Attorney's office said it won't pursue assault charges against 49ers linebacker Ahmad Brooks because of insufficient evidence in the case. Brooks will not face prosecution after further investigation into allegations that he repeatedly hit a teammate on the head with a beer bottle in a June incident.

? Redskins wide receiver Pierre Garcon (shoulder) was cleared to practice when training camp begins Wednesday, the Washington Post reported.

? Wire reports