Ex-Chief given hard labor in animal cruelty case

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Former Kansas City Chiefs defensive lineman Isaiah Buggs has been convicted on two counts of misdemeanor animal cruelty charges.

Tuscaloosa County District Judge Joanne Jannik sentenced Buggs on July 19 to a year of hard labor, ordering him to serve 60 days. The rest would be suspended for two years “pending the behavior of the defendant.”

Buggs, 27, also is not allowed to have or be around firearms or to own dogs or cats. He is appealing the verdict.

The Chiefs released Buggs on June 24, eight days after his second recent arrest in Alabama. He was arrested on a charge of domestic violence/burglary and released on a $5,000 bail, according to records from the Tuscaloosa County Sheriff’s Office.

The run-stuffing tackle out of Alabama played three seasons for the Pittsburgh Steelers before spending the past two with the Detroit Lions. He has started 23 games and appeared in 56 in his career, with 89 tackles and two sacks. He had signed a $1,292,500 contract with Kansas City for the coming season.