Johnny Jolly to be reinstated into NFL months after release from prison

Johnny Jolly can finally resume his NFL career. (USTASI)

Nearly three years after being suspended indefinitely from the NFL after multiple arrests for possession of a controlled substance, former Green Bay Packers defensive tackle Johnny Jolly will be reinstated into the league on Monday, an NFL spokesman confirmed, via the Green Bay Press-Gazette.

Jolly, a starter for the Packers in 2008 and 2009, was released from prison last May when a Houston judge reduced his six-year jail sentence to 10 years of probation.

In November of 2011, a tearful Jolly was sentenced to prison for violating the terms of a previous drug conviction. A month earlier, Jolly was arrested for the third time in four years for possession of a controlled substance containing codeine.

A sixth-round pick of the Packers in 2006, Jolly's first drug charge stemmed from an incident in July of 2008 when police found a mixture containing codeine in his car following his arrest outside a Houston nightclub. Months after Jolly was suspended from the NFL in July of 2010, the 6-3, 325 pound tackle was arrested again in March of 2011 after police allegedly found a bottle containing 600 grams of codeine under a passenger seat. That April, Jolly was sentenced to probation after reaching a deal with prosecutors to avoid jail time if he could avoid further trouble.

In October of 2011, though, Jolly was arrested for possession of a controlled substance containing codeine after a traffic stop in Houston. He was also charged with tampering with evidence after officers allegedly witnessed him throwing a bag out of a car window.

Jolly was also given 200 hours of community service upon his release from prison last May.

In four seasons with the Packers, the former Texas A&M lineman recorded 113 tackles and 2.0 sacks. In 2009, Jolly was a key contributor on the Packers' top-ranked run defense.

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