Former NFL WR Sam Hurd Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Role in Drug Ring

Former NFL wide receiver Sam Hurd has been sentenced to 15 years in prison by a federal judge for his role in a drug trafficking ring.

SportsCenter broke the news.

According to the Chicago Tribune's Jared S. Hopkins, Hurd was looking at a minimum of 10 years in prison following his arrest in the summer of 2012 on drug trafficking charges. The charges had alleged that Hurd tried setting up a cocaine and marijuana distribution ring from July 2011 up until June 6, 2012.

Hurd pleaded guilty to all charges in April 2013.         

Hopkins pointed out that Hurd could have even received a life sentence, when using the federal government's sentencing guidelines.

The sentencing caps off what has been a whirlwind couple of years for Hurd.

Michael McKnight of The MMQB via SI.com went in depth revealing the events that led up to Hurd's arrest and subsequent court proceedings. It's a detailed look at exactly how Hurd went from being an up-and-coming wideout in the NFL to an alleged drug lord in the span of two years.

Hurd is a six-year NFL veteran. Five of those seasons came with the Dallas Cowboys, and the last came with with the Chicago Bears. Throughout that six-year career, Hurd recorded 53 receptions, 739 yards and two touchdowns, according to Pro-Football-Reference.

While he showed some promise as a pass-catcher during his time in the league, he never put it all together or fully broke out as a capable playmaker.    

Now Hurd will likely serve as a cautionary tale for current stars throughout the league and a story presented to new players at the Rookie Symposium.