Former Jets defensive lineman Scott Mersereau, 51, has been charged with child cruelty after allegedly punching a 15-year-old boy, who Mersereau said egged his home. 

Here’s what happened, according to Jorge Milian of the Palm Beach Post:

On Saturday, Mersereau walked to the boy’s home on Southwest Sixth Avenue and accused him of egging his house, the report said. The boy answered by saying he wasn’t at fault before the argument escalated, the report said.

After being cursed by the boy, Mersereau allegedly pushed him in the chest with both hands. Mersereau walked to the front door of the boy’s home and demanded to speak with his mother. When the boy told him to leave, Mersereau allegedly grabbed him by the shirt and pushed him again.

Mersereau, listed on the arrest report as 6-foot-3 and 230 pounds, then punched the boy in his face and back of the head with a closed fist, the report said.

The attack was witnessed by several people, including the boy’s mother.

According to police, when they spoke with Mersereau, he was intoxicated and belligerent. He was released from Palm Beach County Jail on Saturday on $3,000 bond.

Mersereau was a defensive tackle drafted by the Los Angeles Rams in the fifth round of the 1987 NFL Draft. However, he only appeared in regular-season games with the Jets --102 games, to be exact, from 1987-93. He retired with 19 career sacks and three interceptions, but he’s better known for a violent hit involving his teammate, Dennis Byrd, during the 1992 season.

Here’s what happened in the aftermath, via ESPN’s Rich Cimini:

Dennis Byrd overcame paralysis and learned to walk again, becoming a celebrity and a symbol of inspiration. There was a book, a made-for-TV movie and motivational speeches across the country, including a celebrated pep talk to his old team before a playoff victory two years ago.

Scott Mersereau limped away with only a sprained ankle -- so he thought. He later developed severe back pain, took painkilling injections and was forced to retire at the age of 29 when a doctor told him there was damage in his back and he risked paralysis if he continued to play.

Mersereau faded into anonymity, requiring three surgeries and enduring a personal hell that only a small circle of people knew about. “He was the forgotten half of that collision,” former teammate Jeff Lageman said.

The Palm Beach Post said it tried reaching out to Mersereau, but they failed to do so.