Guide Note

Alonzo Spellman is a former NFL player who played for the Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, and the Dallas Cowboys. Afflicted with bipolar disorder, he served time in prison after disturbing a Delta Air Lines flight. His troubles with the law did not end there; he was arrested in Tulsa, Oklahoma on January 29, 2008, after a 20 minute chase by police.

Fast Facts

1. Born: September 27, 1971
2. Alma Mater: Ohio State University
3. First round draft choice in 1992
4. Signed with the Las Vegas Gladiators of the Arena Football League in 2005
5. Suffers from Bipolar Disorder
6. Hospitalized in 1998
7. Sentenced to 18 months in prison in 2003, after a disturbance on a Delta Air Lines flight
8. 2008 arrest left him facing charges of: eluding police, assault with a deadly weapon on a police officer, resisting arrest and driving without a license

Alonzo Spellman was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the 1st round of the 1992 NFL Draft. He got off to a great start in the league, starring in all but one of the games in the first five seasons he played. Then, in 1997, Spellman injured his shoulder in and was cut. He sat out the 1998 season, but returned in 1999, signing with the Dallas Cowboys. He played withe the Cowboys for two years, and ended his NFL career playing for the Detroit Lions in 2001. In 2005 he joined the Arena Football League.