COVINGTON, Ky. -- Linebacker A.J. Nicholson was waived by the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday, hours after he pleaded not guilty to a charge that he hit his girlfriend. She insists she accidentally hit herself with a cell phone, and police misread what happened.
Nicholson
Nicholson was charged with misdemeanor assault Friday, and despite his girlfriend's claim the case will go forward. He remains free on $5,000 bond and a pretrial hearing was set for May 31.
Nicholson was a fifth-round draft pick from Florida State in 2006 but played in only two games because of a hamstring injury.
His arrest was the first of a Bengals player since NFL commissioner Roger Goodell cracked down on misconduct last month. He already was one of nine Bengals players arrested during a nine-month span.
Outside court, Victoria Johnson said Nicholson never hit her. She says she got a mark under her eye when she grabbed a cell phone from Nicholson so hard she struck herself with the phone.
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Nicholson was charged with misdemeanor assault Friday, and despite his girlfriend's claim the case will go forward. He remains free on $5,000 bond and a pretrial hearing was set for May 31.
Nicholson was a fifth-round draft pick from Florida State in 2006 but played in only two games because of a hamstring injury.
His arrest was the first of a Bengals player since NFL commissioner Roger Goodell cracked down on misconduct last month. He already was one of nine Bengals players arrested during a nine-month span.
Outside court, Victoria Johnson said Nicholson never hit her. She says she got a mark under her eye when she grabbed a cell phone from Nicholson so hard she struck herself with the phone.
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