Browns CB Bodden pleads not guilty, will play Sunday

CLEVELAND -- Cleveland Browns starting cornerback Leigh Bodden is looking forward to telling his side of the story after being arrested.

The NFL will listen carefully.

Bodden, 25, faces possible discipline from the league under commissioner Roger Goodell's crackdown on player misconduct after being charged with aggravated disorderly conduct and resisting arrest as he tried to pick up his girlfriend and their two children at Cleveland's major airport.

Bodden, regarded as one of the Browns' quieter and more easygoing players, pleaded not guilty on Thursday to misdemeanor charges less than 24 hours after police accused him of driving in reverse down a one-way street and becoming verbally abusive.

Bodden will play in Cleveland's season opener on Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Before Thursday's practice, he apologized to his coaches and teammates before meeting with reporters.

"You all know there are two sides to every story," he said. "Right now I can't comment on my side. My attorney will handle that. It's unfortunate that this is a distraction."

Leigh Bodden was at practice Thursday, preparing for the season opener. (AP)

Browns coach Romeo Crennel downplayed Bodden's arrest, referring to it as "a little run-in with the law" and a "minor traffic incident." Crennel also said he wasn't bothered by the nature of the charges.

"I could look at a guy cross-eyed and he could charge me with something for looking at him wrong. No fisticuffs occurred, or anything, to my knowledge. I am going to wait until I find out all the facts before I make any kind of judgment," Crennel said.

"You don't anticipate something like that happening from him, so when something like that occurs with an easygoing guy, there may be more to it than just the easygoing guy going off the deep end."

According to police, Bodden was spotted driving his sports utility vehicle in reverse inside a passenger-arrivals area. He was approached by an officer, who informed Bodden to pull over, police Lt. Thomas Stacho said.

After refusing, Bodden eventually parked his SUV illegally. He got out and walked toward an airport entrance and became verbally abusive with the officer, who called for police backup, Stacho said.

Responding officers instructed Bodden to place his hands on a wall, which he did, but the situation became tense when the player began to resist officers trying to place handcuffs on him, Stacho said.

Bodden was taken to a city jail and detained for five hours before being released early Thursday on a $1,000 bond. He also faces traffic charges of failing to produce a driver's license and driving the wrong way on a one-way street.