Cowboys’ new DE Dante Fowler Jr. hit with fine for previous behavior
Some jarring news was reported about Dallas Cowboys‘ newly signed free agent defensive end Dante Fowler on Thursday evening. Fowler, who was picked up by the Cowboys in hopes of helping fill the gap left by the exit of Randy Gregory, is being ordered to pay $280,000 for an altercation that happened between him and a man in 2017.
According to Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning news, Fowler struck a man, stepped on his glasses, and threw his grocery bag into a lake when Fowler was playing with the Jacksonville Jaguars. The defender served a one-game suspension from the league in 2018 after the incident. The $280,000 is for both compensatory and punitive damages.
The circumstance happened in July of 2017 outside of the 55-year-old man’s apartment complex in St. Petersburg, FL. According to the arrest report, Fowler was driving and failed to stop fully at a stop sign, which almost caused an accident. Alvin Trotman, the man Fowler struck, saw the incident and made a comment to Fowler. The attack followed.
Trotman chose to file a civil lawsuit in August of 2018. He was seeking damages to help with a torn rotator cuff, cervical spine injuries, and other health issues caused by the attack. Fowler was 22 years old at the time. Fowler pleaded no contest to criminal mischief, petty theft, and misdemeanor battery at the time. He was also sentenced to 75 hours of community service, a year of probation, and had to pay a $925 fine. The former Jag issued a public apology a week after the situation at the start of Jacksonville’s training camp.
Cowboys DE Dante Fowler must pay $280,000 for a 2017 altercation in which he struck a man, stepped on his glasses and threw his grocery bag into a lake, a Florida jury ruled today. Fowler served a one-game NFL suspension in 2018 for the incident. https://t.co/GmoO3LvDyo
— Michael Gehlken (@GehlkenNFL) April 1, 2022
Dallas Cowboys’ new defensive end Dante Fowler has been ordered to pay $280,000 in punitive and compensatory damages for a battery charge he sustained back in 2017
The ruling provides legal closure for the incident nearly five years later. Fowler will not occur any additional penalties from the league. The four-day trial was held this past week at Pinellas County Courthouse in St. Petersburg, FL.
This isn’t what you want to hear about a man who the Cowboys just signed to a one-year, $3 million contract. The team was excited to give Fowler a chance to reunite with Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, a man who Fowler has known for many years. Quinn was Fowler’s coach both in college at the University of Florida and with the Atlanta Falcons in 2020. Let’s hope this behavior remains in the past for Fowler. The last thing the Cowboys need right now is another lawsuit tied to the organization.
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