Former Bears lineman Alonzo Spellman agreed to terms of a contract with the Las Vegas Gladiators of the Arena Football League.
Spellman, who was sentenced to 18 months in prison in 2003 for threatening an airliner’s passengers and crew, last played in the NFL in 2001.
The Gladiators said Spellman will play defensive end and nose guard.
The 6-foot-4-inch, 300-pound Spellman was a first-round draft choice out of Ohio State for the Bears in 1992. He played nine seasons in the NFL for the Bears, Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys, recording 43 sacks in 123 games and leading the Bears with eight sacks during the 1996 season.
Spellman has a history of treatment for mental illness and was hospitalized for psychiatric evaluation after his involvement in a standoff with police at the home of his publicist in 1998.
– The Arena league’s championship game is returning to Las Vegas on June 11. The ArenaBowl will be played at the Thomas & Mack Center.
