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GEORGETOWN, Ky. — Cincinnati Bengals players were surprised, many even shocked. All were disappointed by the news that middle linebacker Odell Thurman's petition for reinstatement was denied. The Bengals were notified by the league office Thursday morning that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell had ruled against Thurman, who was suspended for the 2006 season for violating the NFL's substance-abuse policy. Thurman can apply for reinstatement after the 2007 season. "That shocked me, man. It's like the commissioner is being mean," wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh said. "I can't see why (Thurman) wouldn't get reinstated if he did everything he was supposed to do." Added defensive end Justin Smith: "That's a hard-line message (from Goodell) right there. He's definitely trying to get something across and he's going pretty hard-core to do it. It's going to put the rest of the players on their toes."
Offensive tackle Levi Jones and defensive end Bryan Robinson were visibly shaken as they spoke about Thurman, who emerged as a star his rookie season in 2005, generating a team-high 148 tackles plus five interceptions and four forced fumbles. "It's extremely unfortunate," Jones said. "It's going to hurt our team a lot. I don't know how much the coaches were planning on him contributing, but with all his attributes on the field, he's someone we definitely could've used." "It's upsetting because it's Odell," Robinson added. "He's a son, a brother, a friend and we love him. Odell is a freak of nature, a talent you'd love to have on your team. At the same time, we've grown as a team and we have a championship we're trying to win. We have guys here we trust." ... Guys such as Ahmad Brooks, who replaces Thurman. "Odell's definitely a big playmaker," Smith added. "But we've got to have other guys step up. Ahmad's up to that challenge. Everybody's replaceable out here and that's the way a team's got to be. We've just got to move forward. It's simple as that."
Dayton Daily News http://www.daytondailynews.com/s/content/oh/story/sports/pro/bengals/2007/07/27/ddn072707bengals.html |
