This one is hot off the presses. It seems that the Cleveland Browns’ receiver Donte’ Stallworth has managed to get himself into a nice lick of trouble. I’m sorry boys, I hate to break it to you, but just because you manage to get yourself accepted into the national sports scene doesn’t mean that’s a green light to toss all rules out the proverbial window.

Such as in Stallworth’s case. He decided to go out drinking, then get behind the wheel. But unfortunately, his evening’s festivities were abruptly ended when he hit a pedestrian and killed him. Was it worth to act like a jerk?

BEREA, Ohio — The NFL has suspended Cleveland Browns receiver Donte’ Stallworth without pay for the 2009 season because of violations of the league’s substance-abuse and personal-conduct policies, the NFL announced this morning.

Stallworth pled guilty to DUI manslaughter on June 16 after killing pedestrian Mario Reyes while driving drunk on March 14. It was the morning after Stallworth earned a $4.5 million roster bonus from the Browns.

Stallworth reached an undisclosed financial settlement with the Reyes family and was sentenced to 30 days in jail, plus two years of house arrest and eight years probation.

On June 18, Commissioner Roger Goodell put Stallworth on indefinite suspension. Goodell met with Stallworth and his and NFL players union representatives earlier this month. The league disclosed that Goodell also met privately with Stallworth on Aug. 10 at Stallworth’s request.

Stallworth will be reinstated after the Super Bowl in February 2010. He may not participate in any team activity during the 2009 season. Read on…

And here is Stallworth’s official statement, released just this afternoon.

“Commissioner Goodell called me this morning. Obviously, I am disappointed, but, as I said previously, I accept the Commissioner’s decision. Regardless of the length of my suspension, I will carry the burden of Mr. Reyes’ death for the rest of my life.

“I urge NFL fans not to judge NFL players or me based on my tragic lapse in judgment. I am a good person who did a bad thing. I will use the period of my suspension to reflect, fulfill my obligations, and use this experience to make a positive impact on the lives of those who look up to NFL players.”

He says he’s disappointed? He killed a man, for heaven’s sake. And he’s disappointed in the consequential outcome? He’s lucky he got off so easy! And just in case you were beginning to think that maybe he wasn’t so bad, just a guy who “did a bad thing”, then check out this quote from his Twitter page. Stallworth acted like an idiotic jerk getting behind that wheel drunk. Then he’s hits some poor soul and only gets 30 days in jail, only 2 years on house arrest, and only 8 years on probation (along with money paid out to the family). With all that going on, this tweet makes him look like a total tool.

“”I’M A LITTLE WOUNDED, BUT I’M NOT SLAIN; I WILL LAY ME DOWN 4A WHILE 2 BLEED, THEN I’LL RISE & FIGHT WITH YOU AGAIN” -John Dryden,” Stallworth wrote, invoking a quote by the 17th-Century British writer and poet.