Former New York Giants linebacker Michael Boley was arrested in February on charges of child abuse.
Boley's arrest, which was revealed on Thursday, came three days after the Giants released him in early February. The arrest came as the result of an investigation into a 2011 incident involving Boley's then 5-year-old son. Specific details of the alleged abuse are still unknown, but TMZ reports the abuse was physical, not sexual.
Boley pled guilty to child abuse as part of a plea deal with prosecutors, according to court officials in Etowah County, Alabama. In exchange for his guilty plea, the prosecutors agreed to drop the charges if Boley completed a pre-trial diversion program.
He will comply with the terms of the plea deal, a TMZ source reports.
Part of the deal also required Boley to turn himself into the Etowah County Sheriff's Office. Police booked him on Feb. 8 and released him later that day.
His unexpected release by the Giants three days before his arrest could suggest that the team was privy to Boley's legal situation and sought to distance themselves from the linebacker.
Boley, 30, was a fifth-round pick out of Southern Miss. He played with the Atlanta Falcons for four seasons before signing a five-year, $25 million deal in 2009 with the Giants.
He started at linebacker for the Giants in their victory over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI.
Boley has 685 tackles, 9.5 sacks and eight interceptions in his career. He is currently a free agent.
