Dallas Cowboys nose tackle Josh Brent was formally indicted by a grand jury in Texas on Wednesday on one count of intoxication manslaughter, according to the Associated Press.
Brent is charged in connection with an automobile crash on Dec. 8 that killed his friend and teammate Jerry Brown. Brent is currently out of jail on $100,000 bond. According to the Associated Press, Dallas County District Attorney's Office spokeswoman Debbie Denmon says the indictment was returned Wednesday.
According to police, Brent was speeding in his car on the night of the accident in the Dallas suburb of Irving. The car hit a curb and flipped, injuring Brown severely. He was later pronounced dead at an area hospital. Brent could face up to 20 years in prison for the charges and could be eligible for probation. No court dates are currently set.
Brown was a linebacker on the Cowboys' practice squad but was not active for any games this season with the team. He had played in one NFL game for the Indianapolis Colts this season before joining Dallas. According to Reuters, he also played for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League in 2011 and for two Arena Football League team, the Jacksonville Sharks in 2011 and the San Antonio Talons in 2012.
"I am devastated and filled with grief," Brent said in a statement after the crash. "Filled with grief for the loss of my close friend and team mate, Jerry Brown. I am also grief-stricken for his family, friends and all who were blessed enough to have known him. I will live with this horrific and tragic loss every day for the rest of my life. My prayers are with his family, our teammates and his friends at this time."
According to ESPN.com, Brent must now wear an electronic ankle monitor and was ordered not to consume alcohol or drive until he has a valid Texas license. The judge said to Brent at his hearing on Tuesday that any violation of the terms of his release will have him sent back to jail.
Brent and the Dallas Cowboys are in a tough situation, because Brown's mother has supported Brent since the incident and was by his side at her son's memorial service. Brent was seen on the Cowboys' sidelines two weeks ago against the Pittsburgh Steelers, but has since been banned from doing that by the team.
"Our team and our players wanted him today on the sideline," Cowboys owner/general manager Jerry Jones said following Dallas' 27-24 victory. "Jerry's mother asked us directly as a group. She said, 'Support him. Help him. He needs your help. Jerry wants that. I want that.' His teammates asked him to come and be down there with them, and that's where we are."
According to ESPN.com, Brent originally was encouraged to attend the game by his teammates and had spoken to head coach Jason Garrett the day before the game, but did not mention that he would be present.
"I actually talked to Josh on Saturday and visited with him over the phone for a little while, just checked in with him to see how he was doing, if he needed anything from us," Garrett said, according to ESPN.com. "Again, he was working through a lot of different things in his life, and just to let him know we support him. Our players have been over to his house, and they've been in contact with him and very close to him. So, you know, I didn't actually know he was going to be at the game. But again, we're trying to handle it day by day and work our way through it. We'll have some more discussions about that going forward."
Brent has had issues in the past with alcohol, including a drunken driving arrest in 2009 when he played at the University of Illinois. Brent had 22 tackles this season before the accident. In his career he has registered 44 tackles, one forced fumble and 1.5 sacks while playing in 39 games, including 12 this season.
The Cowboys have played well in the second half of the season after starting to 3-5, winning two straight against Philadelphia and Cleveland before losing to Washington 38-31. The team has won its last three of the last four games, including a 27-24 overtime win against the Steelers two weeks ago.
Last Sunday the Cowboys lost 34-31 to the Saints in overtime, but are still alive for the NFC East division title. The team plays Washington in the final game of the regular season on Sunday night to decide the division. Dallas cannot get the Wild Card based on its current NFL conference record and is only alive in the playoffs for the division title.
This marks the second year in a row that the Cowboys will play for the division title in a road game on the final night of the season. Last season the Cowboys lost to the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium, giving New York the division and a chance at a Super Bowl. The Giants made the most of it and defeated the Atlanta Falcons, Green Bay Packers, San Francisco 49ers and the New England Patriots to become world champions.
This season the Cowboys are ranked third in the NFL in passing yards with 302 per game, but are ranked just 31st in rushing. The defense is allowing over 350 yards per game and has been holding opponents to nearly 25 points per game, ranked 23rd in the league.