Among the biggest concerns for NFL teams in the off-season is in regards to players potentially running afoul of the law. Those concerns came to the forefront for the Dallas Cowboys Wednesday as news broke that linebacker Damien Wilson was arrested the previous night.
Damien Wilson, slated to be a starting LB for the #Cowboys, charged with two counts of aggravated assault https://t.co/o8ZIkRwGCi
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) July 5, 2017
Dallas Cowboys Linebacker Damien Wilson Arrested for Assault
More specifically, police in Frisco, TX took Wilson into custody and charged him with two counts of felonious aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. It stems from an incident at Toyota Stadium during a “Freedom Fest” Independence Day fireworks display. Wilson apparently backed his truck into a woman in the stadium parking lot, then brandished a rifle at another man in the area, per the Frisco Police Department.
Authorities took Wilson to the Frisco Detention Center afterwards, where he later posted $10,000 bond for each of the charges. According to the Texas Penal Code, the offense is a second-degree felony which could result in a state prison sentence of two to 20 years if convicted.
The Cowboys drafted Wilson in the fourth round of the 2015 NFL Draft, taking him with the 127th overall pick. He saw limited time during his rookie season, appearing in all 16 games but making no starts and finishing with just four tackles.
A year later, his role in the Dallas linebacking corps expanded. Wilson once again played in every game but made five starts, registered half a sack, and finished third among Cowboys linebackers with 23 tackles.
Wilson originally played collegiately at Alcorn State University, but after his freshman year he transferred to Jones County Junior College in Mississippi. After excelling as a safety, he later moved to Minnesota where the coaching staff converted him to linebacker. During his senior season, he led the Gophers in tackles (110), tackles for loss (9.5) and sacks (4.0) en route to All-Big Ten honors.
The Cowboys released the following statement, per a team spokesperson:
“We are aware of the situation and we are in the process of gathering information. We will not have a comment at this time.”
