Why I’m Rethinking the Josh Brent Situation

So many elements of gray encompass the Josh Brent situation, as Valley Ranch columnist Jeff Sullivan described this week. The prospect of Brent returning to the Cowboys after the 2012 Jerry Brown tragedy is, understandably, polarizing.

On one hand, there is Jason Garrett’s locker room code of accountability.

On the other, there are few worse penances than living each day with the raw guilt of directly causing your best friend’s accidental death.

In 2000 I lost a friend and former high school teammate to a fatal car accident. He was smart, he was confident, he was popular, he was talented – and damn, he was tough. So much tougher on the court than skinny Rob. I wanted to play just like him – like a linebacker in sneakers.

To this day, there’s always something that triggers memories of him. You know how Tony Parker will give a shot-fake, get his defender in the air, and then lean into him to draw a foul? I swear he invented it. It used to drive me crazy, but it almost always worked.

He was a good kid who was headed for great things. To this day, I find myself wondering how his parents and brother are coping without him.

No one can condone the events that led to Jerry Brown’s death. I certainly do not. In fact, my first reaction to Stephen Jones’ comments suggesting a possible Brent return was, “Why?”

But after reading Jeff’s column, I’ve been asking myself this question:

If the cause of my friend’s death had been exactly the same as Brown’s – if another ex-teammate of mine had accidentally crashed the car while driving intoxicated – would I have turned my back on him out of anger and grief?

I can’t really say I know Josh Brent – I only enjoyed shooting the breeze with him about basketball or getting a football-related quote from him now and then. I’ve never met Brown’s mother, Stacey Jackson.

But if you watched CBS’s exclusive interview with her last Thanksgiving, you might think twice about condemning the Cowboys if they do welcome Brent back as soon as this summer following his 180-day jail sentence for intoxication manslaughter. The woman’s faith, strength and compassion are nothing short of extraordinary.

We know Jerry Jones and the Cowboys, like most NFL franchises, have previously signed or traded for players with off-field transgressions. These are calculated risks teams make based on the player’s talent, the player’s commitment to turning his life around, and the existing leadership/support structure within the organization.

This, however, is a unique situation.

The Cowboys already know Josh Brent. For years they’ve known his personal strengths and weaknesses — on and off the field. They took him in the 2009 supplemental draft despite his misdemeanor DUI charge in college.

Warning signs were there back then. But like Jerry Brown before his death, and like Stacey Jackson, who has found forgiveness in her heart, the Cowboys essentially became part of Brent’s family.

Yes, they could use a young, talented defensive lineman with starter potential. If they give Brent an opportunity to return at some point, and if Brent decides he wants to play football again, his athletic ability will be a factor in their decision. I’m not naïve enough to say it won’t.

But what if he was a backup tight end? At best, playing second-string behind Jason Witten?

The more I think about it, if the Cowboys believe Josh Brent will ensure that he’s never a danger to himself or anyone else behind the wheel of a car again, the more I believe it doesn’t matter to them what position he plays. Giving him an opportunity to transition back to the world, doing what he does best, would matter most.

Over 10,000 people in the U.S. die each year in a drunk-driving crash. Another 345,000 are injured. There’s a good chance many of you reading this have either been in such an accident or know someone who has. If you think Brent’s actions don’t warrant another chance at professional football, that’s completely justified.

But no matter where you fall on this issue, just consider this:

One life and career has already been lost. Perhaps Stacey Jackson and the Cowboys see a bigger picture here.

Perhaps they don’t want to turn their backs on a second life and career.