Police seek former Bengals linebacker Thurman
SANDUSKY, Ohio -- Northern Ohio authorities were seeking former Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Odell Thurman on Friday on a felonious assault warrant. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>
The 25-year-old Thurman, of <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:City w:st="on">Cincinnati</st1:City>, was indicted last week by an <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Erie</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">County</st1:PlaceType> grand jury on the charge, accusing him of punching a 19-year-old <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">North Royalton</st1:City></st1:place> man, the Erie County Sheriff's Department said in a statement. <o:p></o:p>
Police said Thurman punched the man in the face, breaking his jaw, on May 27 at Kalahari Waterpark Resort in <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Sandusky</st1:place></st1:City> after they argued about a place in line. <o:p></o:p>
Thurman's agent Safarrah Lawson said he had been unable to speak to his client and could not comment on the charges. A message seeking comment was left late Friday with Thurman's lawyer, John Michels. <o:p></o:p>
Thurman was suspended indefinitely by the NFL in June after violating the league's substance abuse policy. <o:p></o:p>
Thurman sat out the last two seasons after skipping a drug test and getting arrested for drunken driving. He had been reinstated by the league in April, but the Bengals released him in May after he skipped a series of voluntary workouts. <o:p></o:p>
He was a second-round pick in 2005 out of Georgia.
When will the NFL stop letting people like this into the league? Give them millions of dollars to play a game, then all they do is piss it away.