Pro Football Talk and TMZ each reported Pacman Jones threatened to kill an officer during the arrest.
Longtime NFL cornerback Adam “Pacman” Jones was arrested at the Rising Sun Casino in southeastern Indiana last Wednesday. The 35-year old former player for the Cincinnati Bengals, Dallas Cowboys, Tennessee Titans, and Denver Broncos was detained by agents of Indiana Gaming Commission Enforcement (IGCE) after he became combative.
The IGCE agents accused Jones of cheating at one of the gaming tables. Agents said he “immediately became verbally combative and disorderly.”
According to the arrest report, he said, “F— you,” to the gaming control agents when they approached him, then became aggressive, so the agents arrested Jones on the spot. Pro Football Talk, a respected online source of NFL news, reported that Adam Jones threatened to kill a police officer during the confrontation. TMZ reported he said, “I will kill you,…I will whoop your ass.”
That did not happen, and Pacman Jones was booked into the Dearborn County Law Enforcement Center at 3:10 a.m. The IGCE charged him with disorderly conduct, intimidation, public intoxication, and resisting arrest.
Pacman Jones’ Past Incidents
It was not the first incident of Pacman Jones’ career. After a successful college football career at West Virginia, Adam Jones was drafted sixth overall in the 2015 NFL Draft by the Tennessee Titans.
Jones was considered a potential risk for the Titans when they drafted him and his career in Tennessee was troubled. He was suspended by the NFL for the entirety of the 2007 season and part of the 2008 season for an incident in a Las Vegas strip club during the 2007 NBA All-Star Weekend — the infamous “Making It Rain” incident which involved a brawl, shot fired, and a paralyzed security staff member.
Troubled Two Years with Tennessee Titans
Then-Titans general manager Floyd Reese said Jones’ two-year stint with Tennessee was “nothing but a disaster off the field.” Despite Jones having a breakout year in his second season, speculation swirled that the Titans would waive Jones.
Floyd Reese stated, “The league and the Titans, including coaches and individuals in the Tennessee locker room, have spent countless hours trying to direct and counsel Jones,” but Pacman appeared recalcitrant.
Totat Nonstop Action Wrestling
During his year-long suspension, Pacman Jones wrestled in “Total Nonstop Action” (TNA) pro wrestling matches. TNA and Tennessee Titans organization had a contract that Jones would not be involved in physical activity with the promotion, but Jones violated terms of the contract and eventually TNA World Tag Team Championship with Ron Killings.
Around the same time, founded his own record labor, “National Street League Records”. He also performed as part of the rap duo Posterboyz. These antics eventually led the Titans to trade Jones to the Dallas Cowboys in 2008 for a 4th round pick.
Bar Incident Ended 1st NFL Sting
Another bar incident — this time in Atlanta in 2009 — led to the Cowboys releases Adam Jones. It was alleged that Adam Jones ordered a member of his entourage to fire a gun while in the bar. Whatever happened, Jones was out of the NFL. Instead, he signed with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
The CFL proved to be a one-year gig, as Jones signed with the Cincinnati Bengals in 2010. Seemingly calmed down enough for an NFL career, Adam Jones was a fixture in the Bengals’ secondary from 2010 to 2017. He was a key part of several playoff teams, though his altercation with Steeler’s assistant coach Joey Porter in the 2015 Wild Card Playoff game cost the Bengals a chance to move on in the playoffs (Vontaze Burfict didn’t help).
Pacman Jones signed with the Denver Broncos in 2018, playing 7 games with the team before being released in November 2018. Since then, he has been without an NFL team.
Obstructing Official Business
Even though Jones appeared to have settled down enough to have an 8-year stay with the Cincinnati Bengals, his issues with law enforcement never went away. He had several incidents while in Cincinnati, including a 2017 incident in which video showed him arguing with Cincinnati police in the middle of the night. A Cincinnati judge charged him with “obstructing official business” (of the police) and gave him a fine.
The arrest in the Rising Sun Casino last week therefore is not a one-off incident, but the latest in a long series of legal troubles. If the “Make It Rain” tragedy did not send a clear signal, then few incidents would. One can hope that the 35-year old ex-NFL player will find some peace and purpose after the Rising Sun Casino arrest.
