Mon May 19 12:16:02 2008

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Bengals sever ties with LB Thurman

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Cincinnati, OH (Sports Network) - The Cincinnati Bengals released troubled middle linebacker Odell Thurman on Monday.

Cincinnati head coach Marvin Lewis indicated in a statement that Thurman had not fulfilled his expectations since being reinstated into the league on April 21 after a pair of one-year suspensions for violations of the league's substance abuse policy.

Thurman was hit with a four-game suspension to begin the 2006 season for the substance abuse violation, but his drunken driving arrest in September 2006 caused the league to extend the suspension for the full season.

The Georgia product was then denied reinstatement in 2007 by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. The league cleared Thurman to train and work out at Bengals facilities in January.

Thurman led the team in tackles as a rookie in 2005 and was a finalist for NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year in his lone season in the league.