Former DE Jolly given 'shock' probation

HOUSTON (AP) - Former NFL defensive end Johnny Jolly has been given 10 years of `shock' probation by a judge, just six months after he was sentenced to prison for violating terms of his probation for a drug conviction.

Jolly, 29, is serving an indefinite suspension from the NFL. His contract with the Green Bay Packers ran out after the 2011 season.

The former Texas A&M star faced drug charges in Houston after his July 2008 arrest outside a club for possession of at least 200 grams of codeine. Jolly was then charged last year with possession of a compound containing codeine, a controlled substance, after a traffic stop in Houston in October. He also was charged with tampering with evidence for attempting to conceal the substance from the investigating officers.

Jolly was sentenced to six years in prison last November by State District Judge Denise Bradley. Jolly applied for "shock probation," which allows convicts to ask to be released early on probation after experiencing the shock or trauma of being in jail.

Bradley gave Jolly the shock probation this week, along with 200 hours of community service. He was also ordered to pay a $500 fine.

Jolly, who grew up in Houston, was a sixth-round draft pick of the Packers in 2006 after playing at Texas A&M. He was a starter for the Packers in 2008 and 2009. However, he sat out the 2010 season after being suspended by the NFL indefinitely the previous July.