Striking Back
THREE DAYS AFTER Roger Goodell introduced new penalties for NFL players charged with various assaults, 49ers defensive tackle Ray McDonald gave the commissioner a chance to show how the policy works. McDonald was arrested and charged with domestic violence on Sunday.
The new get-tough guidelines—a response to the outcry over Ravens running back Ray Rice, who in July was suspended two games after reportedly knocking his fiancée unconscious in Atlantic City in February—state that anyone who commits assault, battery, domestic violence or sexual assault faces a six-game suspension. A second offense leads to a "lifetime" ban that allows players to petition for reinstatement after one year.
Based on a USA Today database that records arrests of NFL players back to 2000, this chart tracks common offenses and highlights six of the 18 players who might have incurred the "lifetime" ban.
[The following text appears within a chart. Please see hardcopy or PDF for actual chart.]
Assault, battery, domestic violence and sexual assault
Weapon crime
DUI
Projected 2014 Totals past this line
0
5
10
15
20
1
2
3
4
5
6
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
1 DWAYNE CARSWELL
Accused of grabbing a woman by the hair and arms in '00; choked and bit girlfriend in '03.
2 MICHAEL PITMAN
Two misdemeanor counts of domestic violence in '01; rammed car into a vehicle containing wife, two-year-old son and babysitter in '03.
3 RANDY MCMICHAEL
Accused of hitting six-months-pregnant wife in '04; accused of hitting her a second time and giving her a bloody nose in '05.
4 BRANDON MARSHALL
Accused of preventing girlfriend from leaving after a dispute in '07; accused of hitting girlfriend in '08.
5 LARRY JOHNSON
Accused of threatening girlfriend with gun in '03; accused of pushing down girlfriend in '05; charged with beating and strangling girlfriend in '12.
6 LEROY HILL
Charged with fourth-degree assault of girlfriend in '10; accused of third-degree assault and unlawful imprisonment of girlfriend in '13.
*Not all of the above charges led to convictions, but the NFL policy is based on charges.
THEY SAID IT
"I don't know if 12 out there would have helped that much."
STEVE SPURRIER
South Carolina coach's response to a question about his new 3--4 defense after a 52--28 loss to Texas A&M.
PHOTO
BILL FRAKES/SPORTS ILLUSTRATED (SPURRIER)
CHART