Patriots Back Track On Shady Draft Pick

Claiming they failed to do their homework, the New England Patriots on Wednesday released the draft rights to Christian Peter, a Nebraska lineman with a criminal record.

“Unfortunately, we did not have information regarding Christian Peter’s record at the time we made our draft selection,” said Bobby Grier, the Patriots’ player personnel director.

The Patriots admitted what might be the biggest blunder of the draft just three days after taking the defensive tackle in the fifth round. They said his behavior is not “acceptable conduct.”

The contention by the Patriots that they were unaware of Peter’s record comes despite reams of information available to all NFL teams on draft prospects.

Players perform in scouting combines, where they receive psychological evaluations. In addition, the NFL’s security division investigates top college players, and that information also is passed on to clubs.

Even a casual fan had access to Peter. A Sports Illustrated article in the March 18 issue reported on his criminal record.

In May 1994, Peter pleaded guilty to third-degree assault of a former Miss Nebraska. He served 18 months probation, which expired in early January.

Mary Peter, Christian’s mother, said her son was puzzled but doing well following the team’s decision to release him.

Peter, 6-foot-3 and 304 pounds, recently was convicted of disturbing the peace in an incident in which he was accused of grabbing a woman by the throat in a Kearney, Neb., bar following a booster club banquet March 6.

Peter also has been arrested on suspicion of disturbing the peace, trespassing, urinating in public, refusing to comply with the order of a policeman and third-degree assault for threatening to kill a parking attendant.

On Sunday, coach Bill Parcells said after drafting Peter: “I think once he gets in a good, solid structure, everything will be fine.”

Grier admitted at the time that the choice was controversial, saying the team won’t “stand for any shenanigans off the field.”

On Wednesday, Grier had a different outlook. He said Peter’s behavior is “incompatible with our organization’s standards of acceptable conduct.”

Peter is to be sentenced on May 21 for the disturbing the peace charge, to which he pleaded no contest. He faces up to three months in jail and a $500 fine. Peter also is named, along with the university, in a federal sex discrimination suit filed by a woman who claims he raped her in 1991.

The woman, Katherine Redmond, says Peter raped her twice. She did not report the incident for two years. Another woman has alleged that Peter sexually assaulted her in 1993, but no charges were brought.

Peter’s attorney, Gary Fox, says there are 15 witnesses who dispute the story of the woman in the bar.

Five days before drafting Peter, Parcells was asked about Peter’s teammate, fullback Lawrence Phillips, who is on one year probation after pleading no contest in an attack on a former girlfriend last fall.

“You’ve got to do your homework on guys like that,” Parcells said. “This league’s not all choirboys now, in case you haven’t noticed.”

The Patriots took Ohio State receiver Terry Glenn with the seventh pick of the draft Saturday, one choice after St. Louis picked Phillips.

Team owner Bob Kraft said Saturday the Patriots wouldn’t have drafted Phillips if he were available.

“I’d have to answer to my wife,” he said.