By: Tyler Ward
The NFL suspended defensive tackle Johnny Jolly for the 2010 season without pay for violating the league's substance abuse policy.
In July 2008, Jolly was arrested in a Texas parking lot that has been known to house drug and gun use. After 1 A.M., a police gang unit pulled over Jolly for playing his music too loud and the bass turned all the way up. According to the police report, the gang unit smelled the strong odor of codeine. They found at least 200 grams of codeine on Jolly, who was immediately arrested. The unit sent the codeine off to a lab, and they verified it as being codeine. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison.
In July 2009, Jolly's charges were subsequently dropped so lab technicians could learn how to use their new machines. After a five month hiatus, they tested it again and came back positive - Jolly was reindicted in December 2009.
However, this wouldn't stop Jolly from messing up. In May, flyers were found in a parking lot, advertising a party that Jolly was allegedly hosting.
At court, the judge placed Jolly on a serious form of probation. He would have to submit a hair sample for every drug test and also abide by a curfew of 6 P.M. - 6 A.M. In addition, he could not go to any places that served alchohol or anywhere where drug use was happening. Jolly would also have to be evaluated by a drug counselor and would not be able to miss one appointment.
Ryan Pickett, a friend and teammate of Jolly, said last month, "If this stuff doesn't cause you to change, what will?" Pickett said. "All this stuff he's going through -- you're missing practice, you can't be around your teammates, that'll make you feel isolated from the team. So if this stuff doesn't change, then that's an issue. I'm expecting him to be changed by this experience, definitely."
Jolly could be in serious trouble and the Packers didn't want to sink at an already thin defensive line. In this year's draft, they drafted defensive tackle Mike Neal in the second round. With the loss of Jolly for the season, Green Bay would have to heavily rely on Neal to shore up the defensive tackle position. The Packers are expected to be one of the elite teams in the NFC and they can't afford a mishap in their new 3-4 defensive scheme.
With an offense that includes Aaron Rodgers, Ryan Grant, and Greg Jennings, they are expecting to win the division, regardless of Brett Favre's retirement decision. Rodgers can now be considered a perennial 4,000 yard passer, with Jennings being a 1,000 yard receiver. Last year, Grant didn't do as well as many thought, but he could ultimately be a 1,000 yard rusher year after year, barring inuries. Led by reigning Defensive Player of the Year Charles Woodson and a solid linebacking corps, the Packers will have a Top 5 defense.
Without Jolly, they lose a run-stuffing tackle that can dominate the opponent's offensive line. Neal will not immediately play like Jolly and that leaves a big gap for the defensive line. They will have to rely on their blitzing schemes to get to the opposing quarterback. The 3-4 scheme is primarily known for having two linebackers rush the quarterback, while the other two go back in coverage. They lose a heavily relied-on player that can significantly help the team.
Packers GM Ted Thompson said in a statement today, "Johnny is a good player that loves everything about the game of football. We appreciate the contributions he has made to the Packers the past four seasons. His focus and priorities now lie elsewhere -- our thoughts are with him during this difficult personal time." The Packers had no additional comments and have not released any further information regarding Jolly.
Jolly was selected in the sixth round of the 2006 draft by the Packers. After playing in a total of 16 games his first two seasons, he has participated in every game since then. He has not had a high number of sacks in his career - only having 2 along with 113 tackles (88 tackles, 1 sack the past 2 seasons).
