Cowboys' Josh Brent charged with manslaughter in death of teammate

An NFL player has died on the second consecutive weekend.

Dallas Cowboys linebacker Jerry Brown, a member of the team’s practice squad, was killed this morning in an accident and teammate Josh Brent, a defensive tackle, is now in the Irving, Texas city jail booked on charges of intoxication manslaughter.

Brown, 25, and Brent were teammates at Illinois. This tragedy comes a week after Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher murdered his girlfriend and then committed suicide in front of Arrowhead Stadium.

According to the Dallas Morning News, Brent was driving on East State Highway 114 in Irving at “a high rate of speed” when his vehicle hit the curb and flipped over, landing in the middle of the road. Brown was pronounced dead on arrival at a nearby hospital while Brent failed a sobriety test and later had blood drawn. The charge against him is a second-degree felony.

According to ESPN Dallas, Brent was booked into the jail at 4:14 a.m. Brent was sentenced to two years probation for a DUI arrest in Champaign County, Ill., in 2009. Brent had been starting for the Cowboys with Jay Ratliff out injured. Obviously, Brent will not be playing Sunday at Cincinnati. The Cowboys have promoted nose tackle Robert Calloway off their practice squad.

Brown previously spent time with the Indianapolis Colts. He also played in the CFL.

The National Football Post sends condolences to the friends and family of Brown.

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Brad Biggs covers the Bears for the Chicago Tribune