NFL Roundup: Jags' Blackmon suspended for four games
Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Justin Blackmon received a four-game suspension to start the 2013 season for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy.
Blackmon, who pleaded guilty to DUI in July, can return Sept. 30, the league announced.
"I've made a mistake and I have no excuse," Blackmon said in a statement. "I am truly sorry and disappointed in myself for putting the Jaguars in this situation. I look forward to putting this behind me and maturing and growing as a person."
Blackmon was arrested during a traffic stop in Oklahoma June 3, and later took a breath test that allegedly showed his blood-alcohol content to be three times the legal limit. An Oklahoma judge accepted Blackmon's plea and deferred his sentence for one year.
---The National Football League will be honored May 8 for trying to lower the amount of suicides.
The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention will give the NFL its Humanitarian Award.
Launched in 2012, NFL Life Line was created as a place for current and former NFL players, coaches, team and league staff, and family members who may be in danger. Callers are connected with trained counselors. Players such as Junior Seau, OJ Murdock and Jovan Belcher had committed suicide in 2012 alone. NFL Life Line also lists information about depression and suicide warning signs, and contains player testimonials imploring those in danger to "make the call" for help.
---The Omaha Beef indoor football team has a job for Tim Tebow, if the recently unemployed quarterback is interested.
The Nebraska team called the office of Tebow's agent Jimmy Sexton to offer a standard player contract, which includes a salary of $75 a day. Beef assistant GM Andrew Mather told TV station WOWT Omaha Tuesday that he doesn't expect to hear back, but wanted to ask.
Current Beef's quarterback, James McNear, has thrown for 21 touchdowns while leading his team to a 5-1 start, and would welcome Tebow's arrival.
---New York Jets draft pick Geno Smith has parted ways with Select Sports Group, but told SiriusXM NFL Radio on Tuesday that it wasn't related to his big drop in last weekend's draft.
The former West Virginia quarterback was taken 39th overall, rather than in the first round as some had predicted.
"I don't want to shed too much light on it," he told SiriusXM. "The thing that I can tell you is that it's not because of the whole draft experience. It's not because of one particular incident. There are a number of things, and that story, you know, that battle will be fought on a different day. As of right now, I don't feel too comfortable talking about all the details of it."