By Mike Mooneyham
July 31, 2007
Adam “Pacman” Jones may be suspended from the NFL, but he’s apparently found an organization that wants him.
The embattled Tennessee Titans cornerback is expected to sign a pro wrestling contract with Nashville-based TNA (Total Nonstop Action) in a deal that could be announced as early as Tuesday.
Jones was suspended by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell in April for an accumulation of off-field incidents, and his request to take part in the team’s training camp was denied last week.
Since entering the NFL in 2005, Jones has been questioned by police 10 times and has been arrested five times. He was suspended for the entire 2007 season on April 10 for numerous run-ins with the law, including alleged involvement in a shooting at a Las Vegas strip club during the NBA’s All-Star weekend in February that left former independent pro wrestler Tommy Urbanski, an employee of the club, paralyzed from the waist down.
Police in Georgia also want to talk to Jones as a witness about a shooting June 18 that followed an early-morning argument in an Atlanta-area strip club.
Pacman Jones
The wrestling deal reportedly was brokered by TNA’s Jeff Jarrett with full approval from the Titans organization. Jarrett has a close relationship with the team, and used former Titans tight end Frank Wycheck and current Titans defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch on a TNA show earlier this year.
Worrick Robinson, an attorney for Jones, told The Tennessean that Jones won’t be wrestling and won’t be portrayed as a villain. He also said any commitment would be short-term, and returning to the NFL remains Jones’ first priority.
Jones already has a link to pro wrestling. His criminal defense attorney, Manny Arora, also represents the late Chris Benoit’s former personal physician, Phil Astin, who was charged earlier this month with seven counts of distributing excessive amounts of painkillers.
The pending announcement already has generated a buzz within wrestling circles.
“Maybe Mike Vick will have some extra time on his hands, and they can book a dog-collar match between the two with Tom Donaghy as special referee,” one fan said, half-jokingly.
TNA’s Bound For Glory pay-per-view in October, incidentally, will be held in Jones’ hometown of Atlanta.
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