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According to ESPN.com, the troubled-yet-talented player was found guilty of resisting arrest and disorderly conduct stemming from a 2013 incident in Decatur, Alabama.
Per ESPN's Adam Schefter, the former University of Alabama star's sentence includes an 18-day stint in jail:
With that said, McClain appealed, so the case will restart from scratch:
According to Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com, McClain will return to Cowboys training camp in the wake of the appeal:
McClain was the No. 8 overall selection in the 2010 NFL draft by the Oakland Raiders. The team released him in 2013, but he eventually signed with the Baltimore Ravens.
Before ever playing a game for the Ravens, though, McClain decided to retire. He returned to the Ravens once again this offseason but retired for a second time, per Sean Wickersham of ESPN The Magazine.
"I gotta follow my heart," McClain said via text. "It ain't football. If football made me complete I would play. But whenever I think of it my heart pulls me away from whatever reason. ... This means I'm done."
Despite that, the Cowboys traded for McClain in early July as they sent a sixth-round pick to Baltimore in exchange for McClain and a seventh-round selection. Following that deal, McClain's agent Pat Dye claimed that his client had an apparent change of heart, according to ESPN.com:
I see and Rolando sees the Dallas situation as a great opportunity given Sean (Lee's) injury and you're talking about a great franchise and a great organization. I've described to any of the clients we've had through the years there, Emmitt Smith, Dexter Coakley, DeMarcus Ware, Marcus Spears, Keith Brooking, DeMarco Murray, that playing for the Cowboys in football is kind of like playing for the Yankees in baseball. Just an iconic franchise.
Per Jon Machota of The Dallas Morning News, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones believes McClain is still capable of being a quality NFL player:
McClain seems committed to making the Cowboys roster and playing in 2014 for now, but legal problems are still hanging over his head. Appealing kicks the can further down the road, but another conviction is entirely possible.
The Cowboys knew what they were getting when they traded for McClain, though, so the ultimate ruling may not impact how they handle him.
McClain is a hugely talented player who could be a Pro Bowler if he stays out of trouble and places all of his focus on football. He is still young and has all the potential in the world.
This appeal will allow him to take part in training camp, but his legal battle is far from over. Until things are settled on that front, there is a great deal of uncertainty surrounding McClain's future.
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