Brent's Actions May Leave Lasting Impact On Community
DALLAS (CBS 11 NEWS) - Former Cowboy Defensive Tackle Josh Brent was set to meet with NFL's top leaders Thursday. He hopes they allow him to play professional football again.
Brent was convicted of intoxication manslaughter in January after he crashed his car back in December 2012, killing passenger and former teammate Jerry Brown, Jr.
Brent spent 135 days in jail and 45 days in rehab. No word yet on what the commissioner or the league will decide.
But with the Dallas Cowboys playing in our own backyard, it's expected that aspiring football players will look up to them.
Case in point – The Como Lions.
If you live in Dallas County or anywhere outside of Fort Worth, the chances you've heard of the Lions are slim. But last year the 11 & 12-year-old team went undefeated, winning the Metroplex All Star Youth Sports Association Super Bowl.
"One thing we always stress and we always preach is work hard and discipline," Kelton Russell, told us.
Kelton Russell grew up in the Como community and is now one of community members that volunteer to coach the Lions. He admits Como is a tough neighborhood. Which is why having positive role models is important.
But living less than 20 miles from Cowboys Stadium, a lot of the times those role models tend to be NFL players.
"They'll come out to play pee-wee and they'll try to wear the same things they see the NFL player wear on Sunday. The shoes, the wristband to the arm sleeves, everything," Russell explained.
Coach Russell tells us his athletes also watch these pro-players off the field.
"The situation was so bad that, in my opinion, I don't want kids to think they can just go out and do what they want to do," Russell added.
Even at a young age Coach K's players know about Josh Brent. They know he was drinking and driving, crashed his car and the accident killed fellow teammate Jerry Brown, Jr.
But instead of making this a negative story, the team uses Brent's case as an example. "With the Josh Brent thing, you want them to understand, you know, your life outside of football, it can take away football from you."
Coach Russell believes Josh Brent is a talented player who has a lot to offer. But he doesn't condone what he did. Moving forward, he hopes Brent realizes his actions didn't just impact two families, it continues to impact this community.
No word yet on what the NFL will do with Josh Brent. But the Cowboys say if he's reinstated, they'll have a spot waiting for him.
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