'Pacman' Jones Drops Appeal

Tuesday, June 12th 2007, 3:37 pm

By: News On 6

NEW YORK (AP) _ Adam ``Pacman'' Jones accepted his yearlong suspension Tuesday, pledging to repair an image that made the Tennessee Titans cornerback the poster child for NFL misconduct.

Jones withdrew his appeal on the advice of newly rehired agent Michael Huyghue. His decision came after a meeting with Roger Goodell, his third with the commissioner.

``I understand my responsibilities to my teammates, the Titans and my fans and I am committed to turning my life around and being a positive member of the NFL,'' Jones said in a statement issued by Huyghue.

Jones was suspended after 10 encounters with police and five arrests since he was drafted in 2005.

Still pending is a case in Las Vegas involving a fight and shooting at a strip club during the NBA All-Star weekend that left one person paralyzed.

The outcome of that case could determine whether the suspension is reduced from 16 games to 10 games. That could happen if Jones adheres to the conditions set by Goodell and is not arrested again. If he misses the entire season, the suspension will cost him his salary of nearly $1.3 million.

Lt. George Castro in Las Vegas said Tuesday police still have not connected what happened inside the strip club and the shooting that took place outside. No new suspects have been identified and police are not seeking new charges based on new information developed during the three months since District Attorney David Roger first declined to prosecute, Castro said.

The decision to drop the appeal also may be due to a change in Jones' representatives.

Until now, Jones had been represented in his dealings with the league by his lawyer, Manny Arora. After he was suspended by Goodell on April 10, Arora filed an appeal on his behalf May 11.

But this time, he was accompanied by Huyghue, who was his agent when he was drafted sixth overall in 2005 and is a former league office employee and former senior vice president of the Jacksonville Jaguars. Earlier this year, the NFL Players Association listed Jones as being without an agent.

``Last week, I asked for an opportunity to meet privately with commissioner Goodell,'' Jones said in the statement. ``I met with him earlier today to tell him about the steps I have taken to change my life since being suspended by the NFL. I accept the discipline that's been imposed on me and I am withdrawing my appeal.''

Neither the NFL nor the Titans commented Tuesday.

Huyghue said Jones intended to keep working out and would go back to school, taking courses online from West Virginia University, where he played.

Jones' suspension was the most severe of three handed down this spring by Goodell as part of the commissioner's crackdown on player misbehavior during a year featuring the arrest of nine Cincinnati Bengals.

Tank Johnson of Chicago and Chris Henry of Cincinnati each got eight games. Johnson served two months in jail for violating probation on a gun charge. Henry, Jones' teammate at West Virginia, was arrested four times in 14 months. Henry served a two-game suspension last season.

Last week, the Titans took steps to fill Jones' vacancy by signing Kelly Herndon, a former starter at cornerback for Denver and Seattle.