The Ohio State football program has had plenty of really good players over the years. Most of those guys end up playing well in the NFL and having long careers. Of course, not every former Buckeye is able to live up to the billing that they created while with the Buckeyes.
Like all programs, the Ohio State Buckeyes have had some players who have struggled after their time in college. One of those players is former linebacker Darron Lee. Lee helped Ohio State win a national championship back in 2014. He ended up being a first-round pick by the New York Jets.
Lee ended up playing for the Jets for three seasons. In fact, he only lasted in the NFL for parts of six seasons. Quite frankly, he had issues adjusting to that fact. He had multiple off-the-field problems. Now, he's officially in trouble that has a chance to cost him his life.
Former Ohio State linebacker Darron Lee indicted on murder charges
Earlier this year, Lee was arrested on charges of him allegedly murdering his girlfriend. On Thursday, he was officially indicted by a grand jury on those charges. Now, Lee will have to stand trial on these charges. He was already on probation for multiple prior offenses prior to being arrested.
If Lee is convicted on these charges, he has a chance to spend the rest of his life in prison. There is also a chance that the prosecutors seek the death penalty. Obviously, this is an extremely serious situation that the former Buckeye linebacker finds himself in.
Lee is going to have a long trial ahead of him. Of course, Lee is innocent until proven guilty by a jury of his peers. Still, at the outset, this doesn't look good for him. At the very least, the fact is that a young girl lost her life. Gabriella Perpetuo is the woman who was found deceased.
Former Ohio State linebacker Darron Lee faces serious charges
At this point, there is no word on when a trial may start in this case. Lee has been held without bond since he was arrested back in February. Unfortunately, he might not ever be a free man again. It's a very tragic turn for what was one of the best linebackers Ohio State has had in recent memory.
Had Lee reached out to the Buckeyes, there's a good chance that they could have helped him battle whatever demons he had been dealing with. It certainly did not need to escalate to this point. Now, a trial will determine whether or not Lee will ever be a free man again.
This is an incredibly sad situation all around. I'm sure some of his former Buckeye teammates will be following this trial to see how things pan out. With how long the judicial system takes, it's unlikely that any trial would begin until sometime next year at the earliest.
Our hearts go out to the family of the victim, as well as all friends and family who were involved.
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