When the Pittsburgh Steelers signed Cam Sutton, many fans fled for the high moral ground, condemning the team over his alleged crimes. No one condones anything Sutton was accused of, but he has earned the confidence of Mike Tomlin and Art Rooney II.
One of the criticisms from the fanbase is that the Sutton signing reveals a moral decay within the Steelers organization as if this particular legal situation would have never been tolerated under Dan Rooney or The Chief. So let’s look at how the team has handled arrests in the past when it comes to violent crimes.
This isn’t an exhaustive list. I’m not including Ben Roethlisberger’s controversies, because he ultimately wasn’t arrested or charged, but it’s obvious that the team stuck by him in the face of damning accusations. Nor am I listing offenses like DUIs or drug possession. But the following should show that there’s never been a singular standard when it comes to Steelers players facing serious charges, particularly domestic assault.
Ernie Holmes (1973)
In March of 1973, Holmes was driving on the Ohio Turnpike when he believed other drivers were trying to get him. He pulled a shotgun from his vehicle and started firing at passing trucks. When police arrived, he led them on a 90 mph chase before running off into a nearby forest. At that point, a police helicopter joined the manhunt, at which Holmes also opened fire, hitting an officer in the ankle. After his surrender, Holmes spent the weekend in jail. The Rooneys paid his $45,000 bail and admitted him to a psych hospital, where Holmes was diagnosed with acute paranoid psychosis. Holmes avoided jail time but received five years probation. In July, he was back in training camp.
Santonio Holmes (2006)
On June 18, 2006, just weeks after the Steelers drafted him, the mother of Santonio Holmes’ children called 911, claiming he choked her and slammed her into a door. Police charged Holmes with domestic violence and assault. A judge dismissed the case after the victim was reluctant to testify, and Holmes’ lawyer assured him that the wide receiver was in counseling. Holmes would play his first four years in Pittsburgh and become the MVP of Super Bowl XLIII.
Richard Seigler (2007)
In May 2007, a Las Vegas news station learned that the practice squad linebacker was under investigation in connection to a prostitution ring. Seigler surrendered to Pittsburgh police where he was charged with persuading a woman to become a prostitute and living from her earnings. The pimping charges were ultimately dropped, but the Steelers released him immediately.
James Harrison (2008)
On March 8, 2008, police arrested James Harrison after his girlfriend accused him of breaking down a door and slapping her across the face. The simple assault and criminal mischief charges were dropped two weeks later. Harrison had completed an anger management program, and the victim no longer wanted to press charges. At the time, Dan Rooney released a statement saying “Each incident must be considered on a case-by-case basis. In the situation with James Harrison, he contacted us immediately after his incident and has taken responsibility for his actions.” In April 2009, Harrison signed a six-year extension.
Cedrick Wilson (2008)
On March 19, 2008, police arrested Wilson and charged him with punching his ex-girlfriend in the face at the Patron Mexican Grill. Despite having a red and swollen left cheek, the victim would later say she was not punched and that witnesses misconstrued what happened. A judge ordered Wilson to undergo anger management counseling. The Steelers released him hours after his arrest.
Najeh Davenport (2008)
On October 4, 2008, the mother of Davenport’s son said the running back punched and choked her in a dispute over the child’s custody. A week later, Cleveland police charged him with domestic violence, child endangering, and unlawful restraint. Davenport denied the accusation and took the case to trial where he faced up to 180 days in jail. The jury found him not guilty on all counts. The Steelers kept him on the roster until November 8th but resigned him less than three weeks later due to an injury to Willie Parker. Pittsburgh released him for good on December 2nd.
Alameda Ta’amu (2012)
On October 14, 2012, Pittsburgh police spotted the fourth-round rookie driving an SUV on the wrong side of the road. It turned into a chase that resulted in Ta’amu crashing into four parked cars, injuring a bystander. Police say he then tried to run away before he was finally subdued and arrested by four officers. Ta’amu pleaded guilty to three counts of recklessly endangering another person, resisting arrest, and driving under the influence. He was sentenced to 18 months probation. The Steelers suspended him without pay for two weeks but kept him on the team. The following month, Pittsburgh waived Ta’amu from the 53-man roster but resigned him to the practice squad for the remainder of the season.
Chris Rainey (2013)
On January 10, 2013, police in Gainesville, Florida arrested the backup running back and charged him with simple battery. The police report accused him of dragging his girlfriend out of his roommate’s car and slapping her across the face with an open hand. As she ran away, Rainey is said to have chased her down, grabbing her bag and knocking both to the ground. Rainey later pleaded no contest to a lesser charge of disorderly conduct and paid $500 in fines. The Steelers released Rainey hours after his arrest.
Anthony Chickillo (2019)
On October 20, 2019, Pennsylvania State Police arrested the linebacker on charges of simple assault and criminal mischief. His girlfriend accused Chickillo of hitting her in the head with his fist and pushing her to the ground. Police noticed in their report that the victim had bruising on her biceps. Chickillo was quickly placed on the commissioner’s list, making him ineligible to participate with the team. On October 30th, prosecutors dropped the charges when the victim no longer wanted to press charges. Chickillo was reinstated to the active roster a day later. The Steelers released him the following March.
Jarron Jones (2020)
On October 3, 2020, police arrested the practice squad offensive lineman, charging him with aggravated assault, strangulation, and simple assault. His girlfriend accused Jones of smashing his Xbox console over her face. He pleaded guilty to simple assault and received two years probation. The Steelers kept Jones on the practice squad until December 29th, when they placed him on injured reserve. Then on January 4th, 2021, Pittsburgh signed Jones to a futures contract, until he was ultimately waived on July 20th.
