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By Lisa Maria Garza
DALLAS, Jan 24 (Reuters) - A Texas jury sentenced former Dallas Cowboys player Josh Brent to 180 days in jail and 10 years' probation on Friday for causing a fiery one-car crash that killed his teammate after a night of heavy drinking in 2012.
The same jury that convicted Brent, 25, earlier this week of intoxication manslaughter for the death of Jerry Brown Jr., could have sentenced him to as much as 20 years in jail.
In testimony in the sentencing phase on Thursday, the mother of the victim pleaded for leniency for Brent, saying her son would have agreed with her.
"He's still responsible, but you can't go on in life and hold a grudge. We all make mistakes and have to be forgiven. I'm sure that's what Jerry would have wanted," Stacey Jackson said.
After a night of drinking at a private club in December 2012, Brent was driving his Mercedes at 110 mph (177 kph) when it slammed into a curb on a state highway, flipping the car, which caught on fire, and killing Brown, then 25.
Brent's blood alcohol level was 0.189 at the time, more than double the legal limit in Texas, according to police documents. (Reporting by Lisa Maria Garza; Writing by Jon Herskovitz; editing by Gunna Dickson)
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