(August 6, 2007) Nashville, Tenn. - Total Nonstop Action (TNA) Wrestling has signed an exclusive contract with one of pro football’s most gifted, yet controversial athletes.

Adam “Pacman” Jones joins the pro wrestling company that features U.S. Olympic gold medalist Kurt Angle and such wrestling stars as Sting, Scott Steiner, Kevin Nash, Jeff Jarrett and Christian Cage.

Jones will make his first in-ring appearance on Thursday, August 9, on iMPACT!, which airs at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Spike TV. He is scheduled to appear on TNA’s “Hard Justice” pay-per-view on Sunday, August 12, from Universal Studios in Orlando, Fla., to reveal his plans for the season.

Terms of the contract were not disclosed.

TNA also has been the wrestling home to such sporting greats as Brian Urlacher, David Eckstein, A.J. Pierzynski, Johnny Damon, Frank Wycheck, Kyle Vanden Bosch and Andre Rison, among others. Jones, a cornerback and return specialist for the Tennessee Titans, was the 6th overall pick in the 2005 NFL Draft out of West Virginia University. He has been suspended for the 2007 NFL season for off-the-field personal conduct matters.

“I am a big fan of wrestling, so I wanted to give it a try,” Jones said. “I respect wrestling and I’m not coming in like it’s just a show. I want to prove that I am the greatest team-sport athlete.”

“Pacman is a gifted athlete and though he has had some serious off-the-field issues, he has a chance to take his suspension and turn it into a positive, something good,” said TNA President Dixie Carter. “We met with him numerous times before signing the contract, and each time we were thoroughly impressed with his desire to change his image, train hard and his commitment to take this opportunity to show a different side of himself.”

Jones initially appealed the NFL suspension, however, on June 12, he withdrew his appeal.

“We are well aware of the controversy that might surround this signing, but it is our goal to help Pacman during his time away from football,” Carter said. “Pacman wants to change his life, so we will do everything in our power to surround him with a positive work environment and people who will help him achieve his goal.”

Jones will be the second active member of the Tennessee Titans to step into the TNA ring. In June, Pro Bowl defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch was in the the corner of former Titans’ Pro Bowl tight end Frank Wycheck for a tag-team match. Wycheck and Jerry Lynn teamed up against James Storm and Ron Killings, and, with Vanden Bosch’s assistance, Wycheck and Lynn scored the victory.