Former Seattle Seahawks defensive tackle Malik McDowell has been sentenced to 11 months in jail after pleading guilty to multiple crimes in Michigan, according to court records obtained by ESPN.
McDowell was also given three months of probation and ordered by a judge to write four essays over the next 90 days. The essay topics included finding meaning in life other than committing crimes, the importance of respecting the rule of law, the principles of the Declaration of Independence and how his behavior undermined them, and the importance of respecting property rights.
McDowell was the 35th overall pick in the 2017 draft by the Seahawks, but he was involved in an ATV accident just three months later and never played a down in the NFL.
McDowell was arrested in February of this year and charged with assault, resisting arrest and operating a vehicle while intoxicated. He was found in possession of a stolen F-150 Raptor, which led to charges of receiving and concealing stolen property.
McDowell was also been previously arrested and given 12 months of probation for a drunken-driving incident, also in 2017, as well as a disorderly conduct charge outside an Atlanta nightclub.
After his latest sentence, McDowell apologized and vowed to be better, while indicating he still has hopes of playing in the NFL.
“I’m doing everything I need to do, seeing all the doctors I need to, working out … doing everything I can to get back to where I was, back to the NFL,” McDowell said, according to the Oakland Press, and added that he’s “very remorseful.”
McDowell’s legal issues don’t just stem from arrests. He has been sued by the Seahawks, who seek repayment of about $800,000 of his signing bonus after an arbitrator’s ruling.
McDowell spent two seasons on Seattle’s non-football injury list before getting waived.
