Former TCU football player turns himself in on family violence charge in Dallas
Former TCU cornerback Jeff Gladney turned himself in to Dallas County Jail and posted bail on a family violence charge.
Gladney is facing a third-degree felony family violence assault charge, stemming from an altercation on Friday, and posted a $10,000 bond after his arrest.
Gladney’s NFL team, the Minnesota Vikings, issued a statement, saying: “We are aware of Jeff’s arrest and are gathering additional information. We take this matter very seriously, as the reported allegations are extremely disturbing. At this time we will have no further comment.”
If convicted, Gladney faces two to 10 years in prison. If the charges are dropped, Gladney will still be subject to a suspension by the NFL under the league’s personal conduct policy.
Gladney was a first-round pick by the Vikings last season.
CBS 11 first reported Gladney’s arrest.
According to the CBS 11 report, Gladney, 24, and a 22-year-old woman, who said she was in a relationship with Gladney, had an altercation on Friday over text messages the woman was receiving. The altercation allegedly started when the two were in a vehicle.
Gladney reportedly demanded to see her phone and she threw it out the window. According to an arrest affidavit, Gladney stopped to get it and that is when he shoved her face to try to use the phone’s Face ID to unlock and pulled her by the hair.
Then Gladney allegedly hit the accuser with closed fists on the “side of her ribs, in the stomach and the back, and hitting her open hand across the head.”
When the two returned to an apartment complex in Dallas, Gladney allegedly “began strangling [her] by the neck, which impeded her breathing for approximately five seconds.”
According to the affidavit, the responding officer documented injuries to her head, ears and torso.
Gladney played in all 16 games for the Vikings last season, including 15 starts. He had 81 tackles, including seven tackles for loss, with three passes defended and one forced fumble. Gladney was the 31st overall selection in the 2020 NFL Draft.
Before starting his professional career, Gladney was an All-Big 12 player at TCU. He joined the Frogs after a standout high school career at New Boston.
This story was originally published April 5, 2021 at 4:53 PM.
