Former NFL TE Kellen Winslow Jr Pleads Guilty to Rape and Sexual Battery
By Michael Luciano
One of the more unheralded tight ends of the 2000s will be behind bars for at least a decade after pleading guilty to some truly despicable actions.
Kellen Winslow Jr., who was already found guilty of one count of rape, accepted a plea deal to avoid a retrial on the remaining rape and sexual battery charges. He will serve between 12-18 years in prison.
BREAKING: Former NFL, #Bucs TE Kellen Winslow Jr. has pleaded guilty to raping an unconscious teen and sexual battery of 54-year-old hitchhiker in a plea deal.
— Ryan Bass (@RyanWTSP) November 4, 2019
Winslow, the son of Hall of Fame San Diego Chargers tight end Kellen Winslow Sr., was picked sixth overall by the Cleveland Browns in the 2004 NFL Draft. While injuries slowed him down early, Winslow managed to make a Pro Bowl in 2007, when he racked up 1,106 yards. After playing three years with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and after one-year cameos in New England and New York, Winslow retired with 5,236 yards and 25 touchdowns.
Winslow's behavior was increasingly erratic as his football career ended, as he was charged with lewd conduct related to an incident with a 78-year-old woman at a health club in March. Another woman alleged Winslow raped her at a house party in 2003.
Kellen Winslow II reaches a plea agreement to end re-trial of eight remaining charges; he could spent 12-18 years in prison https://t.co/yW3XMjEV6y
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) November 4, 2019
Winslow was the son of a legend and put up solid numbers over a long NFL career, but all his achievements are dust in the wind after his nightmarish crimes.