Plenty of players will be spending time with their families after minicamp, but Jets defensive tackle Kenrick Ellis isn’t one of them.
As Darin Gantt shared yesterday, Ellis is headed to jail in Virginia to begin serving his 45-day sentence for misdemeanor assault and battery charges stemming from a 2010 fight at Hampton University. Ellis entered an “Alford Plea” -- proclaiming innocence while admitting the state has evidence to prove the case -- on the charges last month. And, as Gantt told you, serving the sentence would make Ellis unavailable for the start of Jets training camp.
That’s no longer the case. Brian Costello of the New York Post reports that a Virginia judge granted Ellis’ request for a split sentence on Friday. He will enter jail on Friday evening and remain there until July 9th. He will then return to jail on March 13th, 2013 to serve out the rest of his sentence. Ellis was also granted permission to participate in a work release program that will allow him to work out at Hampton while serving this portion of the sentence.
Given that arrangement, Ellis shouldn’t have any reason not to show up to camp in great shape.
