Empty the Bench

We’d almost gone a week without a Pacman update, and for that we do apologize. We fully understand there’s a status quo to be maintained here.

Greg Garber from ESPN.com has published a well-written, definitive look at where Pacman came from, what his high-school and college football careers were like, and what could ultimately happen to the thug mystique he’s so carefully created. It’s a long read, but it’s a good one, with thoughts and quotes on the “Make it Rainman” from a ton of people surrounding the troubled cornerback, including Titan teammate Keith Bulluck, high-school football coach Dallas Allen, and his strength and conditioning coach at West Virginia University, Mike Barwis. There’s also some startling but not shocking stuff here about his relationship with friend and convicted drug dealer Darryl Moore:

Last spring, Nashville police seized nearly a ton of marijuana and cocaine in one of their biggest drug busts in recent years. Darryl Moore, a convicted drug dealer, was the target of the investigation. He’s the same Darryl Moore that Jones counts as a friend. Earlier, Moore had the front seats of a 2004 Cadillac XLT embroidered with “Pac-Man.” Police seized the vehicle as part of the drug bust, and Jones eventually bought it at auction.

Transcripts of phone calls between Moore and Jones revealed that the two had partied together on several occasions, that Moore had slept at Jones’ home and that there was possible evidence that Moore had made drugs deals from that home. There are references in the taped calls to a “cutie pie” (street slang for 9 ounces of cocaine) and “dro” (a nickname for marijuana). In one taped conversation, Moore said Jones had spent thousands of dollars gambling on college athletics and worried that his habits might jeopardize his football career.

“You know, I was talking to him the other day about smoking,” Moore said in that phone call, “and he was like, ‘Man, if I didn’t smoke, I couldn’t take all the stress that I’m dealing with right now.’ “

Read the entire article here. Garber is also chatting with ESPN.com users tomorrow at 2pm.