Jolly released from prison; playing status questionable

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HOUSTON - The Green Bay Packers still hold the rights to defensive lineman Johnny Jolly. But whether he plays again is another question, after his release from a Texas prison yesterday on his third drug arrest in three years in his home town of Houston.

Jolly served six months of what was supposed to be a six-year term. He successfully applied for “shock probation” – which is granted in the state of Texas to certain convicts after they experience the shock of being behind bars. He must serve 10 years of probation, and perform 200 hours of community service. Jolly played for Green Bay from 2006-through-’09, and he started for two years.

The NFL indefinitely suspended Jolly two years ago and put him on what’s the league calls its “reserve, suspended by commissioner” list. He was sent to prison last November, after a judge said he was not trying hard enough to straighten himself out following his repeated arrests for possessing codeine. It’s a felony in Texas to possess large amounts of codeine, because it’s a key ingredient in a hallucinogenic drink called “purple drank.” Jolly told KTRK-TV in Houston that he’s an addict, and not a criminal. He says an addict takes a mindset that they’re never going to get in trouble and quote, “That’s just the drug talking to you.”

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