OXNARD, Calif. – On draft weekend, third-round pick Jourdan Lewis adamantly declared his innocence against a misdemeanor domestic violence charge involving a March incident with his then-girlfriend.
The Cowboys backed up Lewis' character, saying they were comfortable drafting the University of Michigan cornerback based on their research on the situation.
Tuesday, a Michigan jury found Lewis not guilty. It's a triumph for the 21-year-old rookie, who can now focus on his NFL career with the Cowboys.
"I'm proud for Jourdan. I'm proud for our Cowboys," team owner/general manager Jerry Jones said. "I'm proud for the guys that were involved in his evaluation and selection. He had great character references when he came from school. For a jury to have this exoneration, and it's truly that, I hope everybody will recognize that that's a real, real plus. He just didn't want there to be any question about that.
"I'm real proud for the Cowboys and proud for him. He's got a chance to really be a fine player and he is a good person."
Lewis was excused from the first two days of training camp so he could attend the trial. Once in camp, he'll compete for snaps in a revamped Cowboys secondary that drafted two other corners (Chidobe Awuzie, Marquez White) and a safety (Xavier Woods).
