Back in April of 2012, former Nebraska Cornhuskers cornerback Alfonzo Dennard was projected to be drafted somewhere between the second to fourth round of the 2012 NFL Draft.
But one week before the draft, he was arrested and charged with third-degree assault of an officer and resisting arrest. This subsequently killed his draft stock.
Fortunately for Dennard, New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick used a seventh-round pick on Dennard. And it turned out great for the Patriots.
He played in 10 games for the Pats this past season and 35 tackles, one forced fumble and three interceptions. One of those three interceptions was returned for a touchdown.
But the court case loomed over him and now it could cost him his career possibly.
On Wednesday, a Lancaster County District Court jury found Dennard guilty of third-degree assault of an officer and resisting arrest. The assault is a felony charge while the resisting arrest is a misdemeanor.
Between the two charges, Dennard faces up to six years in prison, which if he gets means he'd be 29 when he got out of jail. He's scheduled to be sentenced on April 11th.
Here's what the district attorney had to say about sentencing:
Kelly said his office would not recommend a specific sentence for Dennard. However, he said typical sentences in similar cases range from probation to up to 180 days in jail.
Even if Dennard ends up getting probation, it's still possible that he could face a fine and a suspension from the NFL.
This puts the Patriots in quite a pickle as what happens with Dennard could affect how they go about things in the 2013 NFL Draft. Fortunately for the Patriots, the draft starts on April 25th so they should know Dennard's fate by then.
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photo credit: getty images
