Former NFL star Kellen Winslow II expresses remorse from prison

SAN DIEGO – Former Cleveland Browns tight end Kellen Winslow II has expressed remorse for his actions and said he is committed to being a “productive human being,” part of his latest bid to reduce his prison sentence under the state's new criminal justice reform laws.

The former NFL first-round draft pick also described his life in prison, mentioning past traumas, including sexual abuse in his youth, an estimated 100 concussions during his football career since high school, and a motorcycle accident in 2005 that led to depression.

He put that in writing and included it in a new petition filed last week in a California appeals court, a copy of which was obtained by USA TODAY Sports. He also hired a new attorney to do it after a Superior Court judge denied him the motion in 2023 because Winslow did not have legal counsel and presented his arguments by hand.

“I am determined to be a productive human being upon my release, and I will always feel remorse for what I did to the victims in my case,” Winslow said in a signed statement attached to his new habeas corpus petition.

What did Kellen Winslow II do?

Winslow, 41, was sentenced to 14 years in prison in 2021 after being convicted of gruesome sex crimes against five women in San Diego County, including the rape of an unconscious woman in 2003 and the rape of a homeless woman in 2018. All of the crimes he was convicted of targeted women who were disadvantaged, incapacitated or in their mid-50s or older. One victim was a hitchhiker he picked up in 2018. Another was a 77-year-old woman at a local gym.

In his new motion, he cites state laws that would have changed the sentencing in his case and led to a more favorable verdict, his petition states.

“The applicant (Winslow) is not currently seeking release from prison, but he meets the criteria for parole under AB 124 given the trauma (brain damage) he suffered in his life as a football player, the physical and sexual abuse he was subjected to as a child, and the effects of his serious motorcycle accident,” says his new petition, filed by Patrick Morgan Ford of San Diego.

What is Kellen Winslow II's goal here?

Winslow, who also performed at the University of Miami, has been in prison since March 2019 and is currently incarcerated at a state prison in Norco, California. He will not be eligible for parole until September 2028, according to state records.

Winslow “asks this court to grant his order and return the case to the trial court so that he can be tried under the new laws,” his new petition states. “He now presents his arguments (with facts not originally available) to this court in the form of a petition for a writ of habeas corpus.”

The petition cites AB 124, which came into effect in 2021. It is intended to help defendants who have previously experienced “psychological, physical or childhood trauma, including but not limited to abuse, neglect, exploitation or sexual violence.”

AB 124 requires the court to impose a lesser sentence if the defendant has experienced such trauma, unless there are aggravating circumstances. The petition also argues that settlements are not protected from changes in the law aimed at lesser sentences.

In February 2021, Winslow agreed to his 14-year prison sentence in a negotiated agreement with the San Diego County District Attorney's Office. The district attorney's office declined to comment on Winslow's new request.

What trauma did Winslow mention?

To demonstrate the relevance of the law to his own case, Winslow cited various traumas he had experienced since childhood.

He mentioned his football career, in which he earned about $40 million. He played high school football in San Diego, where his father, Kellen Winslow Sr., was a star tight end for the San Diego Chargers, before also addressing issues with brain injuries.

“I probably suffered 100 concussions during that time, but I knew I couldn't report them because a reported concussion would show that you are 'damaged goods,' and that could be held against a player in contract negotiations,” Winslow II said in his statement.

He said each collision was “like a small car accident” that led to migraines and depression.

He said his motorcycle accident in 2005 led to depression.

“I began to become a different and less caring person during this time,” he wrote.

He then described problems that troubled him during his childhood and said he had been sexually abused by two relatives.

“I feel that this somehow played a role in my own sex crimes in this case,” he wrote.

What does Winslow say about life in prison?

Winslow had previously refused to show guilt or remorse. When USA TODAY Sports asked him about the victims last year, he said he “can't talk about my innocence right now.” After previously insisting on his innocence, he also hesitated to plead guilty in 2019, but did so to avoid the risk of a life sentence in prison.

In his new statement, he said his life in prison includes reading the Bible and self-help books, seeking counseling, and running and training for marathons with other inmates.

“My goal was to become a better person and one day be reunited with my long-standing wife and two children,” Winslow wrote.

His wife filed for divorce in 2019 after a jury initially found him guilty on some counts.

His petition states that other inmates have sent him letters thanking him for his help. One called him a “positive light in this place.” Another credited Winslow II with his recovery from drug addiction, writing that “the Creator sent him to me so I could get better.”

“He actively participates in a program in prison and is described by the leader of his anger management course as a role model for the other participants in the group,” his petition states.

It is unclear when the court will hear his case.

Follow reporter Brent Schrotenboer @SchrotenboerEmail: [email protected]

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Former NFL star Kellen Winslow II expresses remorse from prison

What did Kellen Winslow II do?

What is Kellen Winslow II's goal here?

What trauma did Winslow mention?

What does Winslow say about life in prison?

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Former NFL star Kellen Winslow II expresses remorse from prison

What did Kellen Winslow II do?

What is Kellen Winslow II's goal here?

What trauma did Winslow mention?

What does Winslow say about life in prison?

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