Dejion Marquel RobersonA South Pittsburg man found dead in North Alabama was previously charged with animal cruelty after allegedly punting a cat "like a football."
Dejion "D.J." Roberson, 21, was found dead in an isolated area of County Road 208 in Bridgeport.
The sheriff's office determined the death was a homicide.
Roberson was arrested on Christmas Eve 2013 in McMinn County.
Several witnesses saw him carrying a cat by the neck and kicking it like a soccer ball, according to an incident report.
Roberson said the cat ran into his house and pounced on a small child.
Police asked to see the child in question and saw no marks or visible wounds.
The cat later died.
Roberson was a star football player for South Pittsburg, where he played on the offensive line. The six-foot-five, 315 pound blocker was recruited by both Middle Tennessee and UTC.
He was nominated as one of the Times Free Press's Dynamite Dozen area football players for 2011.