Posted by ESPN.com's James Walker
The Cincinnati Bengals' locker room was elated by the NFL's reinstatement of linebacker Odell Thurman. He was suspended by the league for two seasons following a stellar rookie year in 2005, and the defense hasn't been the same without him.
"I'm very excited,'' Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer said today. "It's been a while. Two years is a long time to be out of football. But just seeing his smile. He's a guy that always has a smile on, he loves playing football and he loves being around the guys. He's been a good teammate when he's been around.''
Cincinnati head coach Marvin Lewis said, despite the league ruling, not much has changed. Thurman's reinstatement only clears his path to return. But Thurman still has to make the team and prove that he can stay out of trouble.
Bengals safety Dexter Jackson, one of the veteran leaders, added it will be a team effort to make sure Thurman keeps away from bad influences.
"If you surround yourself with bad people, you'll pick up bad qualities,'' Jackson said. "So I'm just trying to surround him with great people to let him know that we care about him and that he's part of this team.''
