Former Chicago Bears defensive lineman Alonzo Spellman has been released from the Tulsa County Jail after pleading no contest to a variety of charges.
Online court records indicate Spellman pleaded no contest Monday to 10 counts filed in 2008. They include two felonies -- eluding a police officer and assault with a dangerous weapon -- and misdemeanors including obstructing an officer and public intoxication.
Spellman was sentenced to one year in jail and was released after receiving credit for time already served.
Resolution of the cases was delayed by mental competency issues. Spellman's attorney, David Phillips, did not immediately return a call seeking comment but has said Spellman has a mental illness.
As I was sitting around bored, I decided to look for any Bears news concerning our 2012 team. I stumbled across the story above, which made me think about the tragic demise of not only this man's football career, but his private life as well.
Some of the younger fans may not remember, but Alonzo Spellman could have been great. The Bears drafted him in 1992 from Ohio State in the first round. At only 20 yrs old, he was one of the youngest D-linemen ever selected. The kid came into the league as a 6'4" 287 lb man-child with the physique of a god, in which he started all but one game in his 5 seasons in Chicago, while recording 30 sacks.
Things soon turned ugly as his life began to implode.
Spellman exhibited erratic behavior during his time with the Bears. The first public incident occurred in March 1998 when Spellman became enraged when a doctor was late for an appointment. He pulled a telephone off of a wall and threatened suicide. Complicating matters, Spellman had access to alcohol and a firearm and by this time weighed approximately 300 lbs (136 kg). Authorities were called in, and friend and former teammate Mike Singletary persuaded Spellman to check into a hospital. Spellman shortly left the hospital of his own accord.
Spellman was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, but refused to take medication, instead becoming increasingly reliant on illicit drugs and alcohol. This led to even more erratic behavior and run-ins with the law. These problems, along with his refusal to undergo arthroscopic surgery on his injured shoulder led to Spellman's release by the Bears.
Spellman started taking medication and successfully managed his disorder during his time with the Cowboys and Lions. However, after his NFL career ended, Spellman stopped taking his medication and again ran into problems with the law. Most notably, he had a manic episode on July 23, 2002 in which he disrupted a flight from Cincinnati to Philadelphia. Spellman initially suggested that the flight was going to crash, then became verbally abusive to other passengers and threatened members of the flight crew. The plane was forced to make an emergency landing. Spellman was released, but then damaged property at his brother's home and was taken to a psychiatric hospital. He was later arrested on charges of interference with a flight crew. Although doctors confirmed that he had bipolar disorder, Spellman was determined to be legally sane and spent 18 months in federal prison.
In interviews with ESPN, Spellman has said he now knows how important it is to take the medication for his disorder. He had hoped to return to the NFL, but his age and history presented significant barriers to a comeback. He is now "100 percent into" mixed martial arts.
Spellman was arrested again on January 29, 2008 after leading authorities on a pursuit after being involved in an apparent altercation at a Tulsa, Oklahoma convenience store. The chase ended after three of the tires on Spellman's car were deflated by spike strips and pepper-spray pellets were fired after Spellman refused to get out of the vehicle. On Wednesday June 20, 2012, Spellman was released from prison after pleading no contest to 10 counts for eluding police officers.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alonzo_Spellman
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXLWa8XuJc8[/youtube]
Had some huge (business) projects the last few weeks and I couldn't post. 
