Searching around on Digg earlier this week, I found a Seattle Times article about Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Jerramy Stevens. It’s a fairly lengthy piece due to a lot of great description and information, but it left me with a rug burn on my chin where my jaw was still hanging down to the floor.

Let me just TRY to sum up what Stevens has done in his life:

While in high school
- Punched holes in a school wall [allowed to pay for damages]
- May have violated school rules regarding booze and pot; kicked teammate in the balls; threatened referees after being ejected from basketball game [no official record]
- 1998: At a prearranged fight, after a buddy hit 17-yr old James Hoover in the head with a baseball bat, Stevens (6′7″, 255 pounds) jumped up and stomped on an unconscious Hoover’s face. Hoover had to eat through a straw for six weeks after suffering a broken jaw. [charged with felony assault; later took plea agreement for misdemeanor assault]
- 1998: The judge allowed Stevens to wait for his trial at home, but he had to wear an ankle bracelet. But Stevens violated the terms soon after by testing positive for marijuana. [spent three weeks in jail; home confinement again, but University of Washington coaches wrote letters to the judge asking him to be allowed to practice with team prior to trial, which was granted]

While at the University of Washington
- June 2000: raped a drugged freshman, who had been a virgin, in between buildings outside a sorority; stole her panties; showed the panties around in his dorm [arrested; later, prosecutors decided not to prosecute on Oct. 24]
- October 19, 2000: Stevens sideswiped Donald Preston and his 10-yr old daughter in a heavy rain; stopped long enough to call out “Is everyone Ok?” before leaving the scene [cited on Oct. 25; despite the hit-and-run, Stevens only had to pay a $119 fine driving too fast for conditions]
- May 4, 2001: rammed his pickup into a retirement home; knocked dresser onto bed where sleeping 92-yr old woman lie; with truck stuck, put textbooks under tires for traction; drove away [pleaded guilty to hit-and-run; 90-days of jail suspended on condition he stay out of trouble; suspended first half of season opener by coach]

After being drafted by Seattle Seahawks in 1st round
- 2001: veered into oncoming traffic; blew just barely under the legal limit [cited for negligent driving' paid $490 fine]
- April 2003: DUI; ran stop sign [reckless driving; 7 days in jail; NFL substance abuse program]
- 2004: settled lawsuit with girl he raped at UW
- March 2006: caught driving with a suspended license [charges forgoed if enrolled in re-licensing program]
- April 2006: caught again driving with a suspended license [convicted of misdemeanor & sentenced to 90 days; jail time suspended if he stayed out of trouble for a year]
- March 2007: set to cash in on the free agent market, Stevens is pulled over; blew 2 1/2 times over the legal limit; charged with extreme DUI [instead of mandatory min. of 30 days, judge gives 12, suspending the other 18 b/c Stevens is in NFL program]
- May 2007: signed with Buccaneers for only $5,000 more than minimum for a player with his experience
Despite his multiple offenses, Stevens continues to get opportunity after opportunity. He is set to become the next O.J. Simpson. Just like O.J., he is able to get away with the serious criminal offenses (rape) but unable to get himself free of the civil lawsuit. Now, all he needs is to trade in his red Dodge Ram that he actually used for ramming for a white Bronco.

It’s amazing how in our society, those who entertain and take on celebrity status are able to get away with criminal offenses. And if for some unbelievable reason, they are unable to get away with their offenses, they will at least receive multiple chances to redeem themselves…even though they seldom do.

When it comes to athletes, especially in collegiate football, one reason they are able to repeatedly get away with stuff others likely never would is simple…it’s all about the $$$. Wins bring in money, so those who can help a team win (like Stevens or the 14 other players from the 2000 UW team that were represented by the same lawyer who got almost all of them off or at least very lenient sentences) can do some things that are looked over and swept under the rug.

As the Seattle Times wrote about that 2000 UW team:
“The Huskies finished the season 11-1 and were ranked No. 3 in the country.

Contributions to the football program jumped from $5.4 million in 2000 to $6.9 million in 2001. Ticket sales jumped from $10.9 million to $11.9 million.

In donations and tickets, the football team made an extra $2.5 million coming off its Rose Bowl year.

There’s no telling how much the football team’s success drove other donations to the UW — ones not earmarked for athletics. University presidents like to talk football while raising money — at least they do when the football team is winning.

In 1998 — the year before Neuheisel arrived — the football team went 6-6 and brought in $23.7 million in ticket sales, donations and other revenue.

Under Neuheisel, the team put together four winning seasons. By the end, its revenue had jumped to $30.9 million a year.”

That’s right the same Rick Neuheisel who is taking over at UCLA. Be excited Bruins fans!

Shotgun Spratling

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