Commissioner Roger Goodell announced on Wednesday that the NFL would suspend Pittsburg Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger for six games for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy.

This decision was made one week after prosecutors announced that they would not present any charges against the quarterback in a case that involved a 20-year-old woman who asserted that Roethlisberger sexually assaulted her in a nightclub in March.

Goodell decided then that the quarterback should receive a punishment for his behavior; the quarterback will also have to undergo a comprehensive behavioral evaluation that will be supervised by Goodell himself. The commissioner stated that he will re-evaluate Roethlisberger’s progress before the season starts; he might even reduce the suspension to just four games, depending on the player’s results in the evaluation. If he fails, the suspension may be extended.

This is the first time that Goodell has suspended a player from the NFL under the conduct policy without a criminal charge or arrest. Before making the final decision, Goodell launched an investigation, talking to Roethlisberger personally in a meeting on April 13th, reviewing information on the case, and talking to Georgia’s district attorney Fred Knight.

He also listened to recommendations and information from sources present during the alleged assault against the 20 year-old. The woman said in a statement that she was drunk and was then escorted into a hallway at the Capital City nightclub in Milledgeville, Ga. by a bodyguard, who sat her on a stool and left. Then Roethlisberger appeared and exposed himself; she maintains that she tried to leave but he didn’t let her. She then opened a door, which led into a bathroom; Roethlisberger entered, shut the door and had sex with her.

Since the door was closed, there were no witnesses to the assault, but the woman’s friends told the police that they knew she was drunk and were worried about her.

The investigation revealed that Roethlisberger had behaved irresponsibly, engaging in excessive alcohol consumption and giving alcohol to other college students with him that night. The commissioner decided that such behavior put both the player and the students at risk that night and resulted in a scandal that can have been avoided.

Roethlisberger received a letter from Goodell explaining the suspension for the quarterback; the commissioner stated that even though Roethlisberger had not been charged by the authorities, he had put the reputation of the NFL in jeopardy as an active NFL player. He also stated that this intervention would help the quarterback deal with upcoming situations.

"Your conduct raises sufficient concerns that I believe effective intervention now is the best step for your personal and professional welfare." Goodell said in the statement. "I believe it is essential that you take full advantage of the resources available to you. My ultimate disposition in this matter will be influenced by the extent to which you do so, what you learn as a result, and a demonstrated commitment to making positive change in your life."

Goodell has been dealing aggressively with players that violate the NFL conduct policy. In his three-and-a-half years as the NFL commissioner, he banned the Titans' Adam "Pacman" Jones for one year, and suspended Chicago's Tank Johnson and Cincinnati's Chris Henry for eight games each in 2007. He also suspended Michael Vick. In total he has suspended and banned 16 players.

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Audrey Nolan has been a prominent writer on daily NFL Football Season reviews, sports news and sports betting industry updates for many exceptional sports web sites. You may reprint this article in its full content, please note no modifications to it are accepted.