After suspension, ex-Central star Justyn Ross takes step toward playing again in NFL
Former Central-Phenix City High School football star Justyn Ross has taken another step toward returning to play in NFL games.
The NFL announced Dec. 8 it was suspending Ross for six regular-season games for violating its personal conduct policy because of his arrest stemming from a domestic violence incident in October.
Since he didn’t play the previous five games while being on the commissioner’s exempt list, he would have been eligible to play in the Chiefs’ game Sunday at New England. But the Chiefs didn’t activate him for the game, which they won 27-17.
The Kansas City Star reported Dec. 15, when Ross turned 24, that Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said Ross looked good in practice,
“It was good for him to get out there and work,” Reid said. “He did all the scout-team reps.”
KMBC reported the same day that the Chiefs weren’t expected to activate Ross until the following week. Their next game is Dec. 25 at home against the Raiders.
Justyn Ross enters diversion agreement
The criminal charges against Ross could be dropped if he complies with a diversion agreement approved Nov. 22 by a judge in Johnson County (Kansas) District Court.
Ross, who was a standout wide receiver at Clemson, was arrested in October and charged with one count of domestic battery with no priors and one count of property damage totaling less than $1,000. Both charges are misdemeanors.
Prosecutors amended the criminal damage charge Nov. 6 to over $1,000 but less than $25,000, That raised it from a misdemeanor to a felony, Fox4KC reported.
The diversion agreement, which isn’t publicly available, includes terms and conditions Ross must follow to have the charges dismissed, the Kansas City Star reported. If he violates the agreement, he still could be convicted.
Under state law in Kansas, defendants convicted of domestic battery with no priors may be sentenced to jail time ranging from two days to six months and a fine from $200 to $500, and defendants convicted of property damage totaling between $1,000 and $25,000 may be sentenced from five to seven years in prison.
Ross pleaded not guilty to the charges and is free on a $2,500 bond.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell placed Ross, four days after his arrest, on the league’s exempt list. That means Ross wasn’t allowed to practice or attend games.
Alleged domestic violence involving Justyn Ross
The Kansas City Star reported that Shawnee, Kansas, police arrested Ross around 3 p.m., Oct. 23, after an incident at an apartment.
Citing a criminal complaint filed by the Johnson County District Attorney’s Office, the alleged victim is someone with whom Ross “is or has been in a dating relationship,” the Star reported.
The Star also reported, according to police radio traffic recorded by Broadcastify.com, a dispatcher said the alleged victim told police that Ross was “dragging her through the house and has torn up the house.”
The alleged victim suffered unspecified minor injuries, the property damage is to a laptop, cellphone, computer monitor, gold bracelet and car key, and no weapons, alcohol or other drugs were involved in the incident, according to the police report cited by the Star.
Justyn Ross career highlights
Ross delivered an excellent freshman season in 2018 with Clemson, generating 1,000 receiving yards with nine touchdowns on 46 receptions. He wowed crowds and TV audiences by totaling 301 yards and three TDs on 12 receptions in Clemson’s two College Football Playoff games as the Tigers won the national championship.
But in 2019, after compiling 865 yards and eight TDs on 66 receptions as a sophomore, Ross was diagnosed with Klippel Feil syndrome, a congenital neck defect in which two neck vertebrae are abnormally fused. He missed the 2020 season while recovering from surgery to address the condition.
Ross also had surgery in 2021 to repair a stress fracture in his left foot, reducing his production to 514 yards and three TDs on 46 receptions.
Concerns about Ross’ health, despite oozing talent, made NFL teams wary, so Ross wasn’t selected in the 2022 draft. He instead signed as a free agent with the Chiefs, but he again was sidelined because of foot surgery and missed all of last season.
Before his arrest this season, Ross played in seven games with the Chiefs and caught three passes for 34 yards and no TDs.
This story was originally published December 18, 2023 at 9:59 AM.
