Former Bears quarterback Bob Avellini was sentenced to 18 months in an Illinois prison after he was convicted of aggravated DUI.
Avellini, who has been arrested for drunk driving six times since 2002, was just nine days into a sentence of probation for a previous DUI conviction when he was pulled over and found with a blood-alcohol content almost twice the legal limit in September 2013. That arrest led to a felony conviction.
With credit for good behavior, Avellini will likely serve less than a year in prison.
Avellini claims that head injuries suffered during his NFL career have caused him depression and led him to drink. He is a plaintiff in the NFL concussion lawsuit and is also involved in a separate lawsuit in which he is seeking workers’ compensation in California for injuries he says he suffered there. Avellini filed for bankruptcy in 2012.
A 1975 sixth-round draft pick out of Maryland, Avellini played for the Bears until he was cut during the 1984 season. Over his career he completed 50.5 percent of his passes, with 33 touchdowns and 69 interceptions.
