Underwear shoplifter Joseph Randle lands endorsement deal out of arrest

Dallas Cowboys running back Joseph Randle has jockeyed himself from thief to shill — a subtle and brilliant transformation in less than a week’s time.

Randle was arrested for shoplifting underwear and a tester bottle of cologne on Monday, an obvious embarrassment for him and for the team. But now, per ESPN, Randle will be hocking MeUndies brand underwear — yes, he landed an endorsement deal out of this mess — and certainly will more than make up for the $29,500 game-check fine the Cowboys levied on him for the arrest.

An unmentionable crime turns into Randle promoting unmentionables. What a country.

Randle was charged with Class B misdemeanor theft of $50 to $500, according to Dallas-area police, and released on bond early Tuesday morning. Although the team fined Randle, he will not be forced to miss any game action. The Cowboys host the New York Giants in Week 7.

Under the auspice of pennance, MeUndies head of marketing and business development Dan King said Randle also will donate $15,000 or more worth of underwear and other clothing to needy children and will make public-service appearances at Dallas-area schools to warn children and students about learning from their mistakes.

How nice.

“Joseph felt the need to turn a negative situation into a positive and teamed up with MeUndies to give back to his community and help families in need,” King said, per ESPN. “As a young company, MeUndies is faced with difficult challenges all the time. It’s up to us to turn a negative situation into a positive one, almost on a daily basis. How you learn from your mistakes fast is how you find success in our business and those lessons are applicable in all walks of life.”

Ah yes, this has everything to do with sending a message. It’s all about the kids.

The company approached Randle and agent Erik Burkhardt after the arrest and tried to turn a negative into a positive — for both sides.

“There is no excuse for my mistake last week, and I take full responsibility for my actions,” Randle said. “I let down my coaches, teammates, and family. My agent and I have spent a lot of time looking for ways I can turn my situation into a learning experience for young people.

“Partnering with MeUndies allows me the opportunity to give back to others less fortunate than myself, and spread a positive message of not making the same mistake twice.”

And divvying skivvies to kids apparently is his road to salvation.

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Eric Edholm is a writer for Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Eric_Edholm