Former NFL tight end Kellen Winslow II is seeking a reduction of his prison sentence, citing new criminal justice laws in California.
Winslow, 41, was a first-round pick (No. 6) by the Cleveland Browns in 2004. He was sentenced to 14 years in prison in 2021 after being charged with multiple sex crimes. In a plea deal enacted in February of that year, he agreed to plead guilty to one count of rape and two counts of assault.
Now, in a court filing in a California appellate court reviewed by USA Today, Winslow is seeking to have his sentence reduced under a law that allows for relief on the grounds that a defendant previously experienced "psychological, physical, or childhood trauma, including, but not limited to, abuse, neglect, exploitation, or sexual violence."
The bill was enacted in October 2021, just months after his sentencing in March.
According to the petition filed with the court, Winslow contends the brain damage he suffered from multiple concussions in his football career, the effects of a 2005 motorcycle accident, plus sexual abuse at the hands of two relatives as a child, qualify him for reconsideration of his sentence, per USA Today.
"I am committed to being a productive person when released, and I will always feel remorse for what I did to the victims in my case," Winslow said in the petition.
Winslow is not eligible for parole until September 2028 and is jailed at the California Rehabilitation Center in Norco.
His declaration states, according to USA Today, that he spends his days reading the Bible and self-help books, running with other inmates, and taking part in counseling.
"My goal was to become a better man and one day reunite with my wife, who stood by me for a long time, and my two children," Winslow wrote.
Janelle Winslow filed for divorce in 2019.
In all, Winslow appeared in 105 games (83 starts) with the Browns, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New England Patriots and New York Jets from 2004 to 2013.
