Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Matt Jones will miss the rest of the National Football League season after the league upheld his three-game ban for violating its anti-drugs policy.
The suspension resulted from Jones' arrest in July on a felony charge of cocaine possession.
Facing a possible sentence of three to 10 years and a 10,000-dollar fine, Jones agreed to enter a drug intervention program in October just before he was set to go to trial.
Under the agreement, Jones must complete a nine-month program that includes 136 hours of group therapy, 30 hours of community service and at least 78 random drug tests.
If he completes the program the charge will be dismissed. Otherwise his case will go to trial.
While the NFL suspended him in October, he continued to play as his appeal was outstanding. He has 65 catches for 761 yards and two touchdowns for the 4-9 Jaguars, who have been eliminated from playoff contention.
Copyright 2008 AFP American Edition
