NFL | 'Pacman' appeals his ban by league

Tennessee Titans cornerback Adam "Pacman" Jones has filed an appeal of his season-long suspension, and a hearing with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell should be held within the next two weeks, a league spokesman said yesterday.

NFL spokesman Greg Aiello confirmed yesterday that Jones' letter of appeal arrived at league offices over the weekend. The hearing should be held sometime within the next two weeks.

Jones first met with Goodell April 3 to discuss his off-field conduct. There have been 10 incidents in which he has been interviewed by police, including five arrests since the Titans drafted him in April 2005.

Goodell suspended Jones for the season on April 10. He also suspended Cincinnati receiver Chris Henry for eight games.

The cornerback said April 13 that he thought the punishment was a little too harsh. The suspension includes a review of his case after the Titans' 10th game, which could allow for an early return if Jones meets several requirements.

The Titans drafted Texas safety Michael Griffin and cornerback Ryan Smith of Florida over the weekend.

Bears. Chicago defensive tackle Terry "Tank" Johnson pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor weapons charge as part of an arrangement with prosecutors that will keep him from serving additional time in jail.

The 25-year-old Johnson pleaded guilty to one count of possessing a firearm without an owner's identification, said Mary Stanton, chief of the Lake County (Ill.) Court's misdemeanor division.

He was ordered to serve 45 days in jail, which will be served concurrently with a four-month sentence he is already serving in the Cook County Jail for violating his probation, she said.

Johnson also was ordered to donate $2,500 to the Gurnee Police Department and $2,500 to the Gurnee Exchange Club's child-abuse prevention program.

He was arrested on misdemeanor weapons charges Dec. 14 after police raided his Gurnee home and found six unregistered firearms.

At the time, Johnson was on probation in a November 2005 Cook County case. In that case, he had pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge stemming from an arrest in which a nightclub valet reported seeing Johnson with a handgun in his sport utility vehicle.

Buccaneers. Tampa Bay released cornerback Juran Bolden, a nine-year NFL veteran, along with safety Tra Boger, long snapper Adam Johnson, and defensive tackle Kenny Smith.

Falcons. Rod Coleman, a standout defensive tackle for Atlanta, was injured in a boating accident last weekend, a team spokesman confirmed.

Coleman, 30, had surgery for a ruptured right quadriceps and is likely to be sidelined when the season begins.

The eight-year veteran is one of the premier interior pass-rushers in the NFL and leads the league in sacks by a tackle (44½) over the last five seasons.

Noteworthy. Former Green Bay Packers linebacker Bill Forester died Friday in his native Dallas after a long illness. He was 74.

Forester spent his entire 11-year NFL career from 1953 to 1963 with the Packers, including Green Bay's 1961 and 1962 championship seasons.

Former NFL linebacker Kevin Mitchell, whose last four seasons were with the Washington Redskins (2000-03), died in his sleep Sunday at his home in Asburn, Va., at the age of 36.

The cause of death was not immediately announced.

In 1994, Mitchell was drafted in the second round out of Syracuse by the San Francisco 49ers. He played with San Francisco until 1997, then signed with New Orleans (1998-99) before joining the Redskins.