Packers Saddened By Jolly's Prison Sentence

(NewsCore) - Green Bay Packers defensive lineman B.J. Raji came to the defense of former teammate Johnny Jolly, who was sentenced to six years in prison after violating his probation for a drug conviction.

"It's sad to see that someone with a serious addiction problem like that isn't able to get help when he's in need, as opposed to just being sent off to jail," Raji said Friday following practice.

Raji was a Packers rookie in 2009 when he played side-by-side on the line with Jolly that season.

Prior to Thursday sentencing, it was reported that Jolly requested to go to rehab to get help. He was reported to have spent eight weeks in court-ordered rehab after his second arrest.

"We're a bit biased. That's one of my brothers that this happened to," Raji said. "We're not happy about it."

Jolly was facing charges of possessing a compound containing codeine. He also was charged with evidence tampering when he attempted to conceal the substance during a traffic stop.

"Jolly is a great guy," Packers defensive lineman Ryan Pickett said. "He struggled with some issues, had problems, but everybody on this team knows his heart and what kind of player he was and what kind of teammate he was."

Pickett, who played with Jolly for four seasons, added that the most difficult part of hearing the news was the length of the prison sentence.

"I was hoping it wouldn't be that," Pickett said. "I was hurt that it was that long. You're pulling for him. You want him to have another chance. To know the guy, he's not a bad person, he just has a bad problem. It kind of messed my day up [Thursday]."

Although Jolly was already indefinitely suspended by the NFL since the start of the 2010 season, many Packers still viewed him as a teammate.

Linebacker Desmond Bishop, who played three seasons with Jolly, said, "We're not going to abandon him. He was part of the family. Once you're part of a family, you can't just get out. In my eyes, he'll always be a Packer and part of the family."

Read more: FOX Sports