Indianapolis Colts defensive end Ed Johnson was arrested for marijuana possession today, and as a result he'll be out of work tomorrow.The Colts have decided to waive Johnson, who had been warned that he was already on a short leash because of off-field trouble when he was at Penn State, where Joe Paterno suspended him three different times. Colts President Bill Polian spelled it out in a statement that the team gave to the Indianapolis Star:
"We consider every violation of a team rule or NFL policy on an individual case-by-case basis. If club discipline is appropriate, we consider the past record of the individual involved and the extent to which team rules were violated when imposing penalties.Johnson was a pleasant surprise for the Colts, starting all 17 games as an undrafted rookie last season, and it wouldn't be surprising if a team in need of a defensive tackle claims him off waivers. But for now, he doesn't have a home in the NFL.
"In this particular case, Ed was well aware that his past history required him to be in complete compliance with club rules. He was repeatedly told this during the off-season. Along with his teammates, he was reminded as recently as yesterday of coach Dungy's rules of behavior. Unfortunately, he chose to violate those rules.
"Given the circumstances surrounding Ed's original employment with the Colts, we feel in this case that we have no choice but to take this action."
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
9-10-2008 @ 9:16PM
DolFan said...
I stand behind the Colts on this one, I'm happy to see that the NFL and the teams are just not gonna take it anymore. Finally athletes are being treated like regular joe's.
Lets see how long Ricky Williams lasts
Dean
http://nflteams.studiosites.ws
Reply
9-10-2008 @ 9:31PM
ColtsFan said...
Way to go Colts organization !!!! Thank God they were not like he Pacers and let him off with a " bad boy " punishment .
I LOVE my COLTS but hey think about all the fans out there that admire these players . Espicially the kids , I am glad they took a serious stand .
Reply
9-10-2008 @ 11:16PM
Joe said...
If it hadn't been a player with Ed's history I would be very upset and call it a huge overreaction, but if a guy's been told, "one mistake and you're gone," like Ed Johnson was, you have to give him the boot.
Reply
9-11-2008 @ 10:55AM
Bill said...
And that's why he was cut. It wasn't a knee-jerk reaction to a bad move on his part. This is his character manifested in a series of bad things he's done. Enough is enough.
9-11-2008 @ 9:17AM
BlueGuy said...
Bengals, Please take note of how a top notch team handles their business.
Reply
9-11-2008 @ 9:05AM
southcarolinasteeler said...
Hey bengals, are yall paying attention?
Reply
9-11-2008 @ 5:54PM
Cray said...
Great to see some NFL teams are taking the initiative to actually follow their own rules. Chicago Bears cut 'Tank' Johnson last season because of his past. The repeated tried to reach out to him to set him on a path of good behavior, but he did everything he could to shoot himself in the proverbial foot.
It disgust me that he's on the Dallas Cowboys. I have no clue if he's cleaned up his act or if Jerry Jones is just being lenient. I'm all for second chances but Johnson had plenty of chances to shape up in Chicago.
Reply