Former Wyoming standout Carl Granderson sentenced to six months in jail

CHEYENNE -- Carl Granderson is heading to jail.

Albany County District Judge, Tori Kricken, rejected a plea deal Thursday morning that would've landed Granderson one year of unsupervised probation and a mental health evaluation. The prosecutors agreed to the terms of the deal.

Kricken didn't.

She sentenced the former Wyoming football star and current member of the New Orleans Saints to six months in the Albany County Detention Center. That sentence, which will begin immediately, was handed down for the charge of "unlawful contact."

The judge wasn't done just yet.

She also handed Granderson a suspended one-year sentence for sexual battery. Once he has completed his six-month incarceration, Granderson will face one year of supervised probation.

When the Saints inked Granderson as a free agent last April, New Orleans head coach Sean Payton said he was content and confident that the rookie would join them for camp in July. If he serves his entire sentence, that decision is all but made for the organization.

The Saints gave Granderson $85,000 guaranteed, more than any of the team's other undrafted players.

The charges stem from claims from two women who were staying at Granderson's apartment last November that the defensive end, without their consent, touched them inappropriately. The initial charge in the case was third-degree sexual assault and sexual battery. The first charge can carry up to 15 years in prison. The second holds a one-year sentence.

The Sacramento, Calif., native racked up 173 tackles in his four-year career in Laramie, including 16.5 sacks and three interceptions and forced fumbles.