MORGAN COUNTY, AL (WAFF) -

Rolando McClain waits to see how much trouble he’s in with the NFL.

NFL officials have always warned players to stay away from situations that could get them into trouble.

After Thursday’s ruling, it’s clear that McClain didn’t listen to their advice and now the third year star has put himself in a situation that could lead to time away from the field and not by his own choice.

With McClain being found guilty of reckless endangerment, assault, firing a gun within city limits and menacing, his future playing fate rests in the hands of NFL Commissioner, Roger Goodell.

Over the past three seasons, Goodell has ruled swiftly with misdemeanor cases, with suspensions ranging from three to eight games. That eight game suspension also involved a firearm.

McClain’s legal troubles have already cost him time away from the field as his Oakland Raider teammates just put a wrap on the team’s OTA’s on Thursday.

The Oakland Raiders issued this statement Thursday evening:

“The Raiders are well aware of the proceedings in the Alabama courts today. The team will continue to closely monitor the legal process, understanding that when appropriate, the NFL will review the situation under its personal conduct policy.”

McClain’s legal troubles could cost him where it hurts the most – the pocketbook. McClain is expected to make around $8-million this season.

That comes out to about $400,000 per game, all for not keeping himself out of bad situations.

Copyright 2012 WAFF. All rights reserved.

DECATUR, Ala. (AP) Oakland Raiders linebacker Rolando McClain has been sentenced to 180 days in jail for assault and other charges stemming from a fight in his hometown when he allegedly threatened to kill a man and fired a gun next to his head.

Decatur Municipal Judge Bill Cook convicted the 22-year-old former Alabama star Thursday of third-degree assault, menacing, reckless endangerment and discharging a firearm in the city limits. He fined McClain $2,000.

McClain, 6-foot-3 and 255 pounds, and Jarodiaus Willingham were charged with assaulting Rishard Tapscott, who was a friend of the two, on Nov. 30, 2011. Tapscott testified that the Raiders linebacker pointed a gun at his head and threatened to kill him before firing it beside his ear.

McClain’s attorney, Harvey Steinberg, said he will appeal to Morgan County Circuit Court seeking a jury trial.

”I wanted to put this on so we could show how ridiculous this entire situation is,” Steinberg said after the conviction. ”It truly is. There’s no basis for it. Our feeling was that we should go through it so we could put out there that Rolando did very little, if anything, wrong. He certainly didn’t do anything criminal.”

McClain was released on the bail he paid following his arrest. He did not respond to reporters’ questions before driving away in a white pickup truck.

”I hate that this took place but I’m glad about him being found guilty because it shows that I wasn’t lying,” Tapscott said following the five-hour trial.

Willingham, 23 of Decatur, pleaded guilty to third-degree assault in the case Thursday morning. He received a 90-day jail sentence.

NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said the league will review McClain’s case to determine if further punishment is warranted. The Raiders said in a statement that they would continue to monitor the situation.

McClain, the eighth overall pick in the 2010 draft, signed a $40 million, five-year contract that included $23 million in guarantees with the Raiders before his rookie season.

He had 99 tackles and five sacks in 15 games last season.

Tapscott has also filed a civil suit against McClain.

The judge declined to allow City Prosecuter Emily Baggett to introduce a videotape from the incident. Decatur attorney Carl Cole, who is representing Tapscott in the suit, provided the video to the prosecution.

DECATUR, Alabama — NFL star and former Alabama All-America linebacker Rolando McClain has been convicted on four charges related to a November assault in Decatur and sentenced to 180 days in jail.

McClain was found guilty of reckless endangerment, menacing, third-degree assault and firing a gun in city limits by Municipal Judge Billy Cook.

He was also fined a total of $2,000.

Harvey Steinberg, McClain’s attorney, immediately filed an appeal upon leaving the courtroom.

The appeal will be heard in Morgan County circuit court. Steinberg said McClain could have stipulated to the city’s case against him and immediately appealed to the circuit court.

“This is meaningless,” Steinberg said of the verdict. “We get a jury trial. Most lawyers say let’s stipulate and start all over. I wanted to put this on so we could show how ridiculous this entire situation is. It truly is. There’s no basis for it.

“Our feeling was that we should go through it so we could put out there that Rolando did very little, if anything, wrong. He certainly didn’t do anything criminal. He ceertainly didn’t do anything wrong. This was the only procedure we had to follow other than doing the stipulation so we could get a trial to a jury. By doing it this way, we wanted to put out there the fact that this is a case we would humbly suggest is much ado about nothing.”

McClain’s co-defendent, Jaradious Willingham, also charged in the Dec. 1 assault in which police
said McClain put a pistol to a man’s head in a Decatur parking lot and
fired a shot next to his ear, pleaded guilty to third-degree assault and
agreed to testify against McClain, WHNT reported. Municipal Judge Billy
Cook sentenced Willingham to 90 days in jail and ordered him to pay
$300 in fines.

McClain did not take the stand in his own defense. He left court without talking to reporters.

Before pronouncing McClain guilty, Cook said the key witness was Jason Stewart, who lives on Skyview Street across the street where the incident took place. Stewart called 911 and told authorities he heard a gunshot and saw a flash from the gun.

The assault victim, Rishard Tapscott, identified McClain as the person who fired the gun.

McClain’s sentence comes just weeks after the former Tide star reached a settlement with another Alabama student over an incident from 2008.

Updated at 4:10 p.m. today, May 17, 2012, with new information throughout.

Follow me on Twitter @paul_gattis or email me at paul.gattis@htimes.com.

The Oakland Raiders are an incredible organization and one of things I like most about the team is the long connection they have with many career Raiders. There are many players who only wore the Silver and Black during their NFL playing career.

On the other side, there are players who only spent a brief time in Oakland (or Los Angeles), during their NFL careers. Some of these are Hall of Famers, but whose contributions and achievements were mainly made with other teams. Although their time with the Raider Nation may have been brief, I think it’s important to recognize their contributions to the team’s success.

Here are five Hall of Famers who played for the Raiders, but whose contributions and achievements were mainly made with other teams:

Bob “Boomer” Brown

Boomer Brown finished his NFL career with the Oakland Raiders, playing from 1971-1973 and played in the Pro Bowl while a Raider. He started his NFL career in Philadelphia from 1964-1968, then moved on to Los Angeles to play for the Rams from 1969-1970. He was a big tackle, at 6′ 4″, 280 pounds and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2004.

Eric Dickerson

I think Dickerson will always be a Ram. He played for the Los Angeles Raiders in 1992 and had a bad year, compared to his greatness with the Rams. For the Raiders, he had 729 yards rushing and only two touchdowns. He played for the Rams from 1983-1987, for the Colts from 1987-1991, the Raiders in 1992 and ended his career in Atlanta in 1993.

James Lofton

Lofton had two good seasons with the Los Angeles Raiders but really put up some numbers while he was with the Green Bay Packers from 1978-1986. He played for the Raiders from 1987-1988 and also had some strong stats in Buffalo after leaving the team. In 1987, he had 41 receptions for 880 yards and 5 touchdowns.

Ron Mix

Ron Mix is a legendary Charger, but played his final 1971 season with the Oakland Raiders. He was key part of the early Chargers success, playing for the team from 1960-1969. His nickname, “The Intellectual Assasin” was due to his USC scholarship and eventual law degree. He was an offensive tackle who liked to follow the rules, he had only two holding penalties in 10 years.

Jerry Rice

To me, Jerry Rice is always a San Francisco 49er. He played for the Oakland Raiders from 2001-2004 and then for Seattle also in 2004, but his glory days were from 1985-2000 in San Francisco. He had some good stats with the Raiders, in 2001 he had 83 catches for 1,139 yards and 9 TDs and in 2002 he had 92 receptions for 1,211 yards and 7 TDs.

Although born and raised with Eagles fans in Philadelphia, Freddy Sherman has always been a citizen of Raider Nation at heart. Since his dad got him a signed George Blanda football as child, to meeting Lyle Alzado in the 1980s, he hasn’t looked back. Follow him on twitter @thefredsherman

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After patiently waiting through nearly two days of the 2012 NFL draft, the Oakland Raiders were finally able to make their first pick in the third round with the 95th overall pick at the end of the evening on Friday, April 27. It was the first without the Raiders’ iconic owner, Al Davis, who passed away just last October, making this a true milestone moment in the history of the franchise.

Their first pick of 2012 went to Utah offensive lineman Tony Bergstrom, who will most likely be competing with Cooper Carlisle for the Raiders’ left guard position. The decision was another good one, in my opinion, coming from new general manager Reggie McKenzie. Bergstrom is not a flashy choice but he’s a solid player who will work hard with the team goals in mind, rather than putting his individual achievements in the spotlight.

McKenzie called Bergstrom “tough, with great football intelligence, physical,” and I like what the 6-foot-5, 313 pounds player had to say about his worth ethic. Bergstrom told reporters in a conference call, “I’m not stranger to coming home and studying all day and spending time with the family instead of going out at night. As soon as I get my playbook, I’m going back to that lifestyle of just studying every day and doing my workouts. I think having that schedule that you get used to, that’s kind of a big part of maturity.”

The next pick for the Raiders came in the fourth round with the 129th overall selection going to linebacker Miles Burris out of San Diego State. Burris is another player who seems to have a strong passion for the game. He was a Raiders’ fan growing up in Granite Bay, Calif. and remarked, ” It’s just going to be amazing to play on that field and wear a Raider uniform.”

Burris will start out as an outside linebacker but the Raiders believe he is versatile enough to be able to move around as needed and possibly make some contributions to special teams. He also said, “I just want to contribute to this organization and am just very excited to be a Raider.”

I’m happy about this move as well, as McKenzie seems to know exactly what to do as he puts this team back together. Last year Burris was on the first team All-Mountain West Conference and in 2010 he led the team with 80 tackles, 9.5 sacks and four forced fumbles.

The next pick was London, England born Jack Crawford out of Penn State. The defensive end had four sacks in his final three games of the 2011 regular season and is said to be a very good athlete with good size at 6-foot-4 7/8″ and 274 pounds. He only spent two years as a football player, with his first two years playing basketball and might need some help from head coach Dennis Allen before reaching his potential.

The second pick in the fifth round, the 168th overall pick, went to Arizona wide receiver Juron Criner who caught 209 passes for 2,859 yards and 32 touchdowns for the Wildcats. This is one of the more exciting moves for the Raiders and he could turn out to be the great steal of 2012.

Defensive tackle Christo Bilukidi from Georgia State was a sixth round pick and the 189th overall selection. Bilukidi was born in Angola and played high school football in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. He made history becoming the first NFL draft pick from Georgia State and had 89 tackles with 10 sacks over two seasons. He said he worked hard to get to this point and he should be another great addition to the Silver and Black.

Finally, the Raiders used the 230th overall pick on Penn State linebacker Nathan Stupar. Jeff Hostetler, the Raiders’ former quarterback, is his uncle. He’ll reportedly be used as a special teams contributor and could be a rotational weak-side linebacker.

As we get closer to the season start on Monday night, September 10, I think as Raider fans we have more and more to be excited about in 2012. Go Raiders!

K.C. Dermody grew up in the Bay Area of California, and has been an Oakland Raiders fan for her entire life. She has continued her loyalty to the team through its many ups and downs over the decades, and has been privileged to meet several of her favorite players, including famed quarterback, Jim Plunkett. Follow her on Twitter @kcdermody or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/kcdermodywriter.

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Oakland Raiders’ Three Compensatory Picks Another Good Sign for 2012: Fan Reaction

As an Oakland Raiders fan, I’m excited about the 2012 NFL season. I think the team has grown and developed since the end of the 2011 season and will see what I like to call “Raiders 2.0,” the new Oakland Raiders that will take the field later this year. I feel Mark Davis has really grown and developed as an owner since taking over the team after his legendary father’s passing. His hiring of new GM Reggie McKenzie was a great move and we will definitely see the impact of that this season. Another big move was the hiring of head coach Dennis Allen, but I think we will need to wait to see some games before passing judgement on him.

Now another piece of the puzzle has come together as the Oakland Raiders have made their picks in the 2012 NFL Draft. Here’s a look at the Raiders’ 2012 NFL Draft picks:

3rd Round – Tony Bergstrom

Tony Bergstrom will be a key part of the Raiders offensive line. He played at Utah. I like guys who started as freshmen, and Bergstrom did just that. At 6′ 5″ and 315 pounds, he could become a key member of the Silver and Black. This was the first of three Raiders compensatory picks, awarded to the team after they lost more compensatory free agents than they gained.

4th Round – Miles Burris

Linebacker Miles Burris played at San Diego State but is from Roseville, in Northern California. Burris is a two-time All-Mountain West First Team Selection. Some key stats, he led his division in sacks and tackles for a loss, and was second in forced fumbles. For a linebacker, those are key numbers to me.

5th Round – Jack Crawford / Juron Criner

The Raiders made a trade with the Lions, moving them back 10 picks, but picking up a 7th round selection. In the 5th round, the Raiders first chose defensive end Jack Crawford, who played for Joe Paterno at Penn State. Interestingly, Crawford was born in London, England. But the big pick, the draft pick I think may turn out to be a superstar, is Juron Criner. This wide receiver caught 209 passes, racking up 2,859 yards and 32 TDs during his years at Arizona. Those are the kind of numbers we need to win games.

6th Round – Christo Bilukidi

Bilukidi has the honor of being the very first NFL Draft choice from Georgia State. Bilukidi was born in the African country of Angola, then moved to Canada where he played high school football. He’s 6′ 5″, 290 pounds and was also a four-year lettermen and regional star in basketball. More interesting things about Christo Bilukidi, he also lived in France, speaks fluent French and his father is a diplomat for Angola.

7th Round – Nathan Stupar

This was the pick the Raiders got in the Detroit trade. They chose another Penn State player, linebacker Nathan Stupar, the nephew of former Raiders QB Jeff Hostetler. The whole family seems to be football-oriented, as Stupar’s brother Jonathan plays for the Bills.

Although born and raised with Eagles fans in Philadelphia, Freddy Sherman has always been a citizen of Raider Nation at heart. Since his dad got him a signed George Blanda football as child, to meeting Lyle Alzado in the 1980s, he hasn’t looked back. Follow him on twitter @thefredsherman

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ALAMEDA, Calif. – When Al Davis was in charge, the Oakland Raiders seemed to come out of the NFL draft each year with a track team full of sprinters.

New general manager Reggie McKenzie looked to another sport in his first draft, taking two converted basketball players who are relatively new to football among his five picks on Saturday’s final day of the draft.

The Raiders took Penn State defensive end Jack Crawford with their first of two fifth-round picks and Georgia State defensive lineman Christo Bilukidi in the sixth round, hoping to hit big with two potential projects.

“It helps when you talk about how athletic especially big men are,” McKenzie said. “Do we go in and look for guys who played basketball? No. But when we research and get down into the scouting part of it, yes. That’s part of the process.”

Oakland also took San Diego State linebacker Miles Burris in the fourth round, Arizona receiver Juron Criner in the fifth and Penn State linebacker Nathan Stupar in the seventh.

The Raiders previously took Utah guard Tony Bergstrom with a compensatory pick at end of the third round on Friday as McKenzie had few picks to work with after previous deals had cost Oakland it’s top three picks and two others.

The Raiders are also targeting a potential backup quarterback in free agency, having scheduled a visit with former Heisman Trophy winner Matt Leinart for next week.

“We set out to try to upgrade the team and by the end of the day we felt like we did that,” McKenzie said. “It remains to be seen just how good they will be, but we anxiously will await their presence here in Oakland and also into camp. We’re excited. It was a good weekend. We feel good about where we’ve come so far.”

Much of the day was spent bolstering depth with Bergstrom likely the only player with a strong shot to earn a starting job in training camp. Burris and Criner figure to be immediate contributors but the two converted basketball players likely need time to develop.

Crawford, who grew up in England, moved to the United States to play basketball in high school and picked up football in his junior year. He then went to Penn State, where he started the past three seasons. He had 6.5 sacks for the Nittany Lions last season.

“It’s a little emotional right now, everybody is crying,” Crawford said. “It’s so unlikely. I told myself coming into this situation that I wasn’t going to get upset if I didn’t get drafted. I have come so far already. I am just so happy. This is one of the best days of my life.”

Bilukidi, whose father was an Angolan diplomat, has even less experience.

He didn’t start playing football until his last year of high school in Canada. He then went to junior college at Eastern Arizona and finished his college career at Georgia State where he had 10 sacks and 16 tackles for loss in two years.

“It’s not like basketball,” he said. “Basketball is physical but football is just another game and it’s more physical. The whole contact about it, just hitting people, that’s what I like to do.”

McKenzie showed his affinity for basketball players even before the draft when he signed former Cal State Fullerton power forward Andre Hardy to a free-agent contract as a tight end even though he hadn’t played football since high school.

“We’re close to having a starting five,” coach Dennis Allen said.

McKenzie said he wanted to target players with a passion for the game and he found another in Burris with the 129th overall pick. Burris had eight sacks, 19.5 tackles for loss, three fumble recoveries and 78 tackles for the Aztecs last season.

“I’m a very versatile player and I pride myself on being tough and playing through every game and practice no matter how I feel and no matter what’s going on with my body,” Burris said. “I’m an explosive and powerful player and I just love the game. I love the violence of it and I just love to go out and compete.”

Criner had 31 touchdowns and 202 catches for 2,770 yards his final three seasons at Arizona but lacks the top-end speed the Raiders targeted in receivers under Davis’ leadership. He was clocked at 4.68 seconds in the 40-yard dash at the NFL combine, which hurt his draft standing.

“There’s a difference between playing on the field and having field speed than straight-line speed,” Criner said. “So, I don’t feel like I would really having a problem fitting into that category.”

Stupar, the nephew of former Raiders quarterback Jeff Hostetler, started sparingly at Penn State and is projected as a special teams contributor and backup middle linebacker.

The Raiders are also looking to fill a void at backup quarterback by scheduling a tryout next week with Leinart. Leinart has a familiarity with Oakland’s offensive system because new co-ordinator Greg Knapp was his quarterbacks coach in Houston. Leinart also has a relationship with starter Carson Palmer, whom he backed up to start his college career at Southern California.

After winning two national titles with the Trojans and being the No. 10 overall pick in 2006 by Arizona, Leinart has failed to meet expectations. He started 11 games as a rookie with the Cardinals but only seven games in the past five seasons.

He got a chance to start last season with the Texans after Matt Schaub broke his right foot, but Leinart dislocated his left shoulder in the first half against Jacksonville on Nov. 27, ending his season.

“We just want to take a closer look at him, watch him throw the ball and see how his injury has come around,” McKenzie said.

Notes: The Raiders announced that they will donate 10 per cent of any new season ticket orders paid for from May 1-June 30 to the Oakland public school system.