Legendary Boxer Roy Jones Jr. Willing to 'Put His Life On The Line' to Free Brittney Griner
Former Baylor Bears' women's basketball star Brittney Griner has been detained in Russia since February on drug charges, which she was convicted on in August and sentenced to nine years in prison.
Griner's sentence has been a somewhat controversial topic since her detainment in February, with several noteworthy athletes and politicians making their voices heard in an attempt to allow Griner to return home.
Most recently, in an interview with TMZ Sports, boxing legend Roy Jones Jr. has publicly supported his support for the former Bears star. Jones maintains dual citizenship in both the United States and is more than willing to go to Russia himself to help bring Griner home.
"I know what that girl's family is going through right now, and I feel for them," Jones said. "Would I put my life on the line, take a chance to go to Russia to exchange prisoners? Yes, I would."
"Why? Because if it was my daughter, I would want somebody to do the same thing for me."
Russia maintains an open stance on a potential prisoner swap to send Griner home, with Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stating that Russia is willing to negotiate.
"We have stated many times that we are ready for negotiations to resolve the fate of U.S. citizens convicted in Russia and Russian citizens in the U.S," Zakharova said.
As it currently stands, there is no timetable set for a potential Griner return to the United States.
You can find Connor Zimmerlee on Twitter @Connorjz98
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Connor Zimmerlee is a writer and reporter for the FanNation network. Zimmerlee received his Bachelor's of Journalism from the University of Texas at Austin and graduated from Northwestern's Medill School of Journalism with a Master's of Science in Journalism with a Specialization in Sports Media.