David Terrell, the former wide receiver for the Chicago Bears, is making headlines in Chicago once again. He has been arrested for battery after allegedly grabbing his ex-girlfriend and threatening to throw her off of a balcony. It is a sad chapter in the life of a player who once held so much promise.
Terrell played for the University of Michigan, and joined the Chicago Bears in 2001 as their first-round pick; he was the eighth pick overall. Though there was much hype and hope surrounding the rookie, he is widely thought of as one of the biggest draft busts in the NFL.
He did little to live up to his potential while with the Bears. He only had nine touchdowns in his four seasons with the team, and caught the ball just 128 times. The Bears eventually got rid of Terrell, and he joined the Denver Broncos for one season. He only played one game while in Denver. That would be his last season in the NFL.
Terrell was also known for stirring up trouble. Even after his one-game season in Denver, he was quoted as saying, "Terrell Owens is not better than me. Keyshawn Johnson is not better than me. Randy Moss is not better than me. The only person better than me is me." No one was impressed by such wild statements. A poll of Bears fans showed that 65 percent approved of the team's decision to release him.
Off the field, he was known for his trouble behind the wheel. He was cited by police numerous times for speeding, driving without insurance, driving on a suspended license, and negligent driving. He was also arrested for failure to appear in court in connection with his driving citations.
Now David Terrell has found himself in more hot water than any of his minor scrapes with the law. He was held on $10,000 bond, and has been charged with misdemeanor battery. The charge may not sound serious, but what his ex-girlfriend has accused him of is. According to her, Terrell grabbed her, saying "I'll throw you off the balcony and say you jumped."
Terrell went from having a promising career in the NFL to having his mugshot plastered across the internet. It is a hard fall for the former first-round draft pick, hopefully this time he will clean up his act.
Whitney Levon is a Chicago native whose dedication to the Bears goes back to her first football memory; the Bears' 1985 Super Bowl victory. She has been covering the Chicago Bears and other Chicago teams since 2010.
