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DALLAS -- Former NFL wide receiver Sam Hurd was sentenced Wednesday to 15 years in prison for his role in starting a drug-distribution scheme while playing for the Chicago Bears, completing a steep downfall that ended his football career and left his future in tatters. Hurd, 28, received the punishment in a federal courtroom in Dallas after pleading guilty in April to one count of trying to buy and distribute large amounts of cocaine and marijuana. The charge carried a minimum 10-year sentence and a maximum of life. Authorities say that while NFL teammates and friends knew him as a hardworking wide receiver and married father, Hurd was fashioning a separate identity as a wannabe drug kingpin with a focus on "high-end deals" and a need for large amounts of drugs. U.S. District Judge Jorge Solis gave Hurd a much shorter sentence than the 27 to 34 years recommended by federal sentencing guidelines. Solis noted that the case against Hurd centred on a "lot of agreements" to buy and sell marijuana and cocaine, rather than physical transactions of drugs. But, the judge said, "You didnt just start nickel and diming it." Hurd stood before him in orange jail scrubs after a rambling, emotional 30-minute plea for mercy. Behind him in the gallery were more than a dozen family members and friends. "You had everything going for you," Solis told Hurd, adding that he thought the case was a "tragedy." Federal inmates are typically not eligible for parole and required to serve at least 85 per cent of their sentences. Hurds December 2011 arrest outside a suburban Chicago steakhouse came after he tried to buy a kilogram of cocaine in what turned out to be a sting. According to a federal complaint, Hurd told an undercover agent that he wanted 5 to 10 kilograms of cocaine and 1,000 pounds of marijuana per week to distribute in the Chicago area. He claimed he was already distributing 4 kilograms a week, according to the complaint. A kilogram is about 2.2 pounds. At the time, Hurd was a wide receiver with stints for the Bears and Dallas Cowboys who had played most of his five seasons on special teams. He was in the first year of a three-year contract reportedly worth more than $5 million. The Bears soon cut him. Hurd was released on bail and returned to Texas, where he grew up, but soon fell into trouble again, according to court documents. He allegedly tried to buy more cocaine and marijuana through a cousin, Jesse Tyrone Chavful, and failed two drug tests. That led a magistrate judge in August 2012 to revoke his bail and order him returned to jail. Hurd spoke near the end of a four-hour hearing, sometimes reading from handwritten notes and sometimes looking directly at Solis to plead for mercy. While he denied leading a major conspiracy or dealing with Chavful, Hurd admitted to having a marijuana addiction and a weakness for friends who needed his help. He admitted giving $88,000 to another co-defendant, Toby Lujan, knowing that the money might go to buy drugs. And he admitted the fateful meeting at a steakhouse that ended in his arrest. "I regret not thinking about the consequences," Hurd said, adding: "I made some dumb, very bad decisions." His attorneys tried to explain his claims of having high-value customers and massive demand for drugs as mere boasting, saying he had a penchant for exaggeration. One of his lawyers, Michael McCrum, called his client "a guy showing up at a restaurant, talking stupid." "I think he should be punished, but for the crime that he committed," McCrum said. But Hurds failed drug tests and alleged dealings with Chavful appeared to factor heavily against him Wednesday. Prosecutors repeatedly brought up Chavful -- rejecting claims by Hurd and his attorneys that the two men were talking about Hurds attempts to start a T-shirt printing business. "Normally, when you dig a hole, you quit digging," said prosecutor John Kull. "But he keeps digging." Chavful and Lujan have both pleaded guilty to being involved in the conspiracy. Solis gave Chavful eight years in prison for his smaller role in the scheme. Lujan will be sentenced in January. While no other NFL players are known to have been charged in connection with the case, Hurd claimed in an interview published Tuesday by Sports Illustrated that he shared marijuana with Cowboys teammates and smoked during the last three to four years of his career "all day, every day." But while he gained extra notoriety due to his now-finished football career, prosecutors said Hurds case was simple. "Hes not being prosecuted because hes an NFL player," Kull said. "Hes being prosecuted because hes a drug dealer." 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Pinch-runner Chris Dickerson then went all the way to third on Nick Markakis bloop single. "I thought one of the keys was the read Dickerson made on the ball that Nicky hit," Showalter said. "A lot of guys play that safe and dont trust their instincts and end up at second base." Reed bounced back with a strikeout of Nate McLouth, but Markakis stole second and both runners scored when Wieters lined a single into right field. "Keep getting opportunities, thats all you can ask for," said Wieters, who struck out with runners on the corners in the eighth. "Whether you succeed or not, you want that next opportunity to come to you and you want another chance." It was the ninth consecutive loss for the White Sox, who grabbed a 3-2 lead on Conor Gillaspies pinch-hit homer against Tommy Hunter (4-3) in the top half of the inning. "We battled back, Conor with the big homer," White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. "Anytime you lose late, it always hurts. You just bounce back, keep going." Danny Valencia had three hits and Brian Roberts homered for the Orioles. They began the day two games behind Tampa Bay for the final AL wild-card slot. The Orioles improved to 7-5 in extra-inning games while the White Sox fell to 9-14. "I made a terrible pitch to Wieters right there on that last pitch and he made me pay for it," Reed said. Dayan Viciedo also homered for last-place Chicago, and Paul Konerko had two hits. After scoring in the third inning of Thursdays series opener, Chicago went 18 innings without a run until Konerko singled in Alexei Ramirez in the fourth.dddddddddddd Viciedo connected in the fifth, giving the White Sox a 2-1 lead, but Roberts went deep in the bottom half, tying the game with Baltimores major league-leading 192nd homer. Each team then had its chances to move in front, but couldnt come up with a clutch hit. "There was a lot of Houdini stuff going on in there," Ventura said of his pitchers. "Theyd get in trouble and work their way out of it. With the way it was going today, you almost figured Reed was going to do the same thing, but it just didnt happen." Baltimore left Adam Jones at third with two outs in the seventh inning. The Orioles had two runners in the eighth, but pinch-hitter Wieters struck out on a slider from Nate Jones and Roberts grounded out. Wieters sensed Reed might try to retire him with another slider in the 10th. "I knew that was definitely an option," Wieters said. "I just wanted to stay back and try to find some outfield grass." Hector Santiago threw five solid innings for the White Sox, allowing two runs and seven hits. The left-hander is 1-3 with a 3.80 ERA in his last 13 starts. Baltimore left-hander Wei-Yin Chen gave up two runs and six hits in six innings. He struck out eight and walked none. The Orioles grabbed the lead when Chris Davis doubled into the gap in left-centre in the first, driving in Manny Machado from first. The hit lifted Davis total to 124 RBIs, second-most in the majors behind Detroits Miguel Cabrera. "We have to keep winning," Wieters said. "We have to win tomorrow and come here with that mindset. Its go time now. Theres no more get em later. Its go now and make our run." NOTES: Machado and Jones each had two of Baltimores 13 hits. ...White Sox pitching coach Don Cooper missed the game after a reoccurrence of diverticulitis led to him being hospitalized. ... Chicago lost three at Boston and three at Yankee Stadium before arriving in Baltimore. ...Orioles starter Bud Norris (10-10, 4.01 ERA) opposes fellow RHP Andre Rienzo (1-1, 5.03 ERA) in Sundays series finale. ' ' '