Matt O’Dwyer of the Cincinnati Bengals, Denard Walker of the Tennessee Titans, and Jumbo Elliott of the New York Jets have been suspended without pay for two regular season games for violating the NFL Anti-Crime Policy, the NFL announced today.

O’Dwyer and Walker each were suspended without pay for the first two games of the 2000 regular season. Elliott, who recently announced his retirement, was notified he would be required to serve a two-game suspension without pay if he returns to the playing field.

O’Dwyer, Walker, and Elliott are the first players suspended under the

Anti-Crime Policy, which was established to provide counseling and, when appropriate, discipline for NFL employees who engage in criminal behavior.

"As an organization whose continued success depends on integrity and public confidence, the NFL simply cannot tolerate conduct that victimizes other individuals and results in a loss of respect for NFL players," Commissioner Tagliabue said. "We instituted this policy during the 1997 season with counseling only. In 1998, we began fining employees for violations. Now that the policy has been in effect for three seasons, we are raising the disciplinary standard in order to underscore that this type of behavior will not be tolerated."

In addition, a fourth player, Jason Fabini of the New York Jets, was fined $14,000 -- the equivalent of one 1999 game check -- after accepting a deferred adjudication to a disorderly conduct charge brought against him by the State of New York following an incident at a Long Island bar last summer.

O’Dwyer pled guilty to assault and disorderly conduct charges for his involvement in the same incident and received a three-year period of probation, restitution, and alcohol counseling.

Elliott, also involved in the incident, pled guilty to harassment and disorderly conduct and received a fine and community service from the court.

Walker pled guilty to assault (domestic violence) charges brought by the State of Tennessee last year and received a one-year period of probation and counseling.

Commissioner Tagliabue warned all four players that any future violations of the policy would result in increased disciplinary action.