OXFORD, Ohio (AP) — Former Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Jerome Schaffer has been sentenced to 180 days in jail on misdemeanor assault and indecent exposure charges, a sentence his attorney hopes will be reduced to probation at a hearing later this month.
A Butler County Court judge on Thursday agreed to delay imposing Schaffer’s sentence until Aug. 31, attorney Mike Allen said.
Schaffer, 26, pleaded no contest to the charges in June.
Authorities have said Schaffer was apparently under the influence of drugs when he was arrested in February after he got into a fight, tried to break into cars and exposed himself in a church parking lot.
Schaffer has been doing well since his arrest, Allen said. He entered an inpatient treatment program and continues to receive counseling while pursuing a real estate license, Allen said.
“He’s a different person than when we first started on the case,” Allen said. “He’s doing what he needs to do to address his issues.”
Schaffer is dealing with the effects of multiple concussions from his college and NFL playing days where he was known as an aggressive player, Allen said. Schaffer starred at Cincinnati LaSalle High School and the University of Cincinnati before signing as a free agent linebacker in 2012. He played nine games for the Bengals in 2013 and was waived in 2014.
Concussions, Allen said, are a “legitimate and serious issue” for Schaffer.
