Josh Brent rejoins Cowboys, has suspension reduced

Brent, 26, received a sentence of 180 days in jail after he was convicted for intoxicated manslaughter for a crash in December 2012 that resulted in the death of Cowboys linebacker Jerry Brown. He reportedly spent the last 45 days of the sentence in a treatment facility and has since been working out at a local gym.

A seventh-round selection in the 2010 NFL Supplemental Draft, Brent played in 39 games at defensive tackle during his three seasons with the Cowboys, starting five games in his final season in 2012 before the fatal incident ended his year.

For a team that’s sorely lacking up front defensively, the reinstatement of Brent could come at a good time.

Brent was also ordered to pay a $10,000 fine. He was convicted on Wednesday of intoxicated manslaughter for the 2012 incident in Dallas and could have been sentenced to up to 20 years in jail.

Brent, who retired from the league last year, was driving home late one night in December of 2012 when he lost control of his Mercedes. Brown, who had played with Brent at the University of Illinois and was on the Cowboys practice squad at the time, was riding in the passenger’s seat and died in the crash.

Instead, it appears he will retire on his own terms. Brent made this statement regarding his retirement, per Ian Rapoport on Twitter:

Brent was the driver of the car in the accident that killed Brown, allegedly with a blood-alcohol content that was twice the legal limit. He has failed two drug tests since and is awaiting trial on intoxication manslaughter charges, with the next hearing scheduled for September.

Brent is still awaiting trial for the incident. He was allegedly driving at speeds above 100 miles per hour when his car hit a curb and flipped. He failed a field sobriety test at the scene, and was found to have a blood alcohol content over twice the legal limit. Brown was unresponsive when police arrived, and later pronounced dead at the hospital. An autopsy showed that he was sober.

Brent had been walking free on a $100,000 bond, and is still on the Cowboys’ roster at the request of Brown’s mother. Whether he stays on the roster remains to be seen. While not technically barred from offseason workouts, Brent did not participate in OTAs or minicamp after being asked to stay away from the team.

According to court documents, Brent was drug tested on June 19 and the positive result was confirmed on June 25. That positive result put him back behind bars, the second positive test since Brent’s indictment.

Brent is currently awaiting trial after the December 8, 2012 crash that killed Brown and allegedly when the driver, Brent, had a blood-alcohol level of twice the legal limit while driving at speeds well over 100 miles per hour. Brent had been free on a $100,000 bond, but that freedom is now revoked following another positive test for marijuana.

A report released by the medical examiner’s office Thursday said Brown died from head and neck trauma when the car overturned in the accident. Brown sustained a dislocated neck and severely bruised spine in the crash and tests showed his blood alcohol content at .056, just over two-hundredths below the state of Texas’ legal limit of .08 for drunk driving. Police say neither Brown nor Brent was wearing a seat belt in the accident.

Brent is out on $100,000 bond after the Dec. 8 crash. Police allege Brown, who was the driver of the car, had a blood alcohol level twice the limit when the crash occurred in Irving.

Except, according to the Dallas Morning News, the Cowboys didn’t even know Brent would be present:

Brent, 24, reportedly failed a sobriety test after the crash and now faces charges of intoxicated manslaughter. If convicted, he would face two to 20 years in prison.

Brown and Brent both attended the University of Illinois and Brent, who was in his third season after being a seventh-round draft choice in 2010, reportedly lobbied to help get Brown an opportunity with the Cowboys.

Ian Rappaport from NFL.com talked to their former coach at Illinois, Ron Zook:

The NFLPA offers a service called “Player Transportation Link,” confidential program for all past and present members. Players can call a 24-hour hotline - there’s a sticker on the back of each NFLPA membership card with the number - for prearranged transportation service or even an emergency response. Players are responsible for payment and receive a discount through their players association membership.

Player transportation services were previously administered by the NFL. The service was later transferred to the union because of player concerns about confidentiality.

Via NFL.com:

Brent failed a sobriety test, as police relayed to Matthew Watkins of the Dallas Morning News. He was taken from the scene of the accident to a local hospital, where he had blood drawn. Watkins reports that he was later booked with a second degree felony charge.

Brent and Brown were teammates in college at Illinois. Brown, a linebacker, was signed to the Cowboys practice squad in the middle of the 2012 season.

The phrase intoxication manslaughter is not a common one, but as the reported connection with the passing of teammate Jerry Brown Jr. would already indicate, intoxication manslaughter is what most people would refer to as vehicular manslaughter. Section 49.08 of the Texas penal code describes the crime as follows:

(a) A person commits an offense if the person: (1) operates a motor vehicle in a public place, operates an aircraft, a watercraft, or an amusement ride, or assembles a mobile amusement ride; and (2) is intoxicated and by reason of that intoxication causes the death of another by accident or mistake. (b) An offense under this section is a felony of the second degree.