Browns coach Butch Davis said he called Washington's coaches, Pharms' agent and mother after hearing of the arrest. But one of the most horrible things you can do is jump to a conclusion. The man was hit in the leg and the bullet lodged in his chest. Pharms' blood was found with the victim's blood in a car at the scene, court papers say. Pharms, who wore a mask during the crime, and an unidentified accomplice changed clothes in the car, which was registered to Pharms' ex-girlfriend, and walked away, the documents say.
Investigators say they also found in the car a bloody glove issued by the Washington football team.
DNA tests completed recently show the blood on the glove belonged to Pharms and the victim, Maleng said. Washington coach Rick Neuheisel and athletic director Barbara Hedges were in Phoenix for Pac-10 meetings. Both declined comment. Browns owner Al Lerner said the team's background check on Pharms was not as thorough as it would have been if he were picked in the first or second round of the draft. Even so, Cleveland would appear to have an advantage over other teams in researching players their director of security, Lewis Merletti, served as director of the U.S. Secret Service under three presidents.