DALLAS -- Former Dallas Cowboys defensive back Dwayne Goodrich was sentenced Tuesday to 7½ years in prison and fined $20,000 for a hit-and-run accident that killed two men in January.

A jury last week convicted Goodrich of criminally negligent homicide, and prosecutors had asked jurors to sentence him to 10 years in prison for each of the two criminally negligent homicide charges.

Goodrich was released Tuesday night on $150,000 bond pending an appeal of his case that could take several months and is not expected to begin before Jan. 1.

Defense attorney Reed Prospere said Goodrich told him six or seven NFL teams were interested in signing him. Prospere said that would require league approval and Goodrich hoped to obtain it.

His mother, Pam Goodrich, said she hoped the end of the trial would bring "some closure'' for the victims' families and "that the vengeance and bad feelings are replaced with memories of their children.''

Demont Matthews, 23, and Joby Wood, 21, were trying to rescue a motorist from a burning car on Jan. 14 on an interstate when they were hit by Goodrich's car.

"Mr. Goodrich, you can't bring my son back to me. You killed two innocent children. I know you know you did it,'' Matthews' mother, Delores, said during the sentencing phase.

Goodrich, 25, testified during the trial that he didn't see the pre-dawn accident scene because a sport utility vehicle in front of him blocked his view. He said he slammed on the brakes when he came upon a stalled vehicle in the road and was forced to swerve to the left, hitting Wood and Matthews and injuring another man.

Goodrich said he originally believed, or hoped, he hit debris and left the scene. He surrendered to law officers hours later after contacting his mother and his attorney.

Goodrich was the Cowboys' top pick in the 2000 draft, taken 49th out of Tennessee in the second round. But he played only sparingly in three seasons.