SAN DIEGO – In a stunning turn of events, former Cleveland Browns tight end Kellen Winslow II has opened up about his remorse for his past actions and his newfound commitment to being a “productive person” as he seeks to have his prison sentence reduced under new state criminal justice reform laws.
The former NFL first-round draft pick revealed the harsh reality of his life behind bars, shedding light on the various traumas he has endured. Winslow detailed a history of sexual abuse as a youth, an alarming tally of approximately 100 concussions sustained throughout his football career dating back to high school, and a devastating motorcycle accident in 2005 that plunged him into a dark pit of depression.
“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 stated in a signed declaration attached to his latest habeas corpus petition.
Back in 2021, Winslow was handed a harsh 14-year prison sentence after being found guilty of heinous sex crimes against five women in San Diego County. The long list of charges included the rape of an unconscious woman in 2003 and the rape of a homeless woman in 2018. All of Winslow’s crimes were committed against vulnerable women, many of whom were incapacitated, disadvantaged, or elderly. Shockingly, one victim was a hitchhiker he picked up in 2018, while another was a 77-year-old woman at a local gym.
Winslow’s new petition points to state laws that could have altered the sentencing process in his case, potentially leading to a more lenient outcome.
“Petitioner (Winslow) is not asking to be released from prison at this time, but he does meet the criteria for relief under AB 124, given the trauma (brain damage) he received in his life of football, physical and sexual abuse he was subjected to as a child, and the impact of his debilitating motorcycle accident,” read his petition prepared by Patrick Morgan Ford in San Diego.
Currently incarcerated since March 2019, Winslow is confined to a state prison in Norco, California. According to state records, he is not eligible for parole until September 2028.
The University of Miami standout’s petition references AB 124, a groundbreaking law enacted in 2021. This legislation aims to assist criminal defendants who have endured psychological, physical, or childhood trauma, including abuse, neglect, exploitation, or sexual violence.
As Winslow navigates the complexities of the criminal justice system in his quest for a reduced sentence, the football world watches on with bated breath, awaiting the outcome of this unprecedented chapter in the tumultuous tale of Kellen Winslow II.
