Former Canadian Football League player running into hard times

A former University of North Dakota and Canadian Football League star running back has run into hard times here.
Milson Jones, who was named the most outstanding player in the 1987 Grey Cup, pleaded guilty last week to drug and theft charges.
"This is a man who once excelled in his trade and was known across the land," defense lawyer Mike Cook said. "He was regarded as an elite athlete. The facts of this case are really quite sad."
Jones, who played 11 years in the CFL, was arrested last week on a warrant after several missed court appearances. The 45-year-old homeless man admitted to possessing a small amount of cocaine last winter. Jones also was accused of trying to cash a stolen check and stealing meat from a store.
"He's clearly fallen on some hard times, and these crimes were not done out of greed," Cook said.
Jones' suspended sentence and probation might hamper his desire to travel to North Dakota, where his two sons play at Dickinson State.
"It's a dream of his to see his boys play one day," Cook said.
Jones, who came to Canada from Jamaica when he was 9 years old, earned all-America honors at UND in 1980 and 1981 and ranked as the school's third all-time leading rusher when he was inducted into the school's Hall of Fame in 1996.
He went on to play for several CFL teams, and was the league's leading active rusher when he was cut by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in 1993. His career numbers include nearly 8,000 total yards and 73 touchdowns.
Jones said little in court, though he admitted to having a drug problem he hopes to conquer.
"I don't want to go through this nonsense again," he said.