Former Texas Star Vince Young Arrested For DWI

Another Football Player Busted

The record-setting University of Texas quarterback was arrested in Austin after midnight on Monday – long after the last NFL league championship game had ended. He was was speeding and drifting across lanes on I-35. 

When he was pulled over, Young had trouble standing up and slurred his words. He refused to perform a breathalyzer test or agree to give a blood sample so his blood alcohol content is unknown. 

From Sports Hall of Fame to Jail

None of us UT alums can forget the thrilling end to the 2006 Rose Bowl when Vince Young scored the winning touchdown with seconds to go and won our last national championship. After his career with the Tennessee Titans went downhill, he returned to college after his NFL career and graduated from UT in 2013. Young raised money for the school and worked in the community. He was inducted into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame just last month. 

After accomplishing so much, Young made a bad decision Sunday night when he decided to drink too many beers and climb behind the wheel. 

Alcohol Abuse in the NFL

Young is not the rare football player who made a poor decision. Arrests for alcohol-related crimes are all too common in the NFL. Just last year, nine were charged with DWIs, two were charged with hit-and-runs (which is usually related to drunk driving) and two were charged with public intoxication. 

The intoxicated players were Spencer Ware (Seahawks), Jabari Prince and Eric Henderson (Vikings), Da’Rick Rogers (Colts), Alan Branch (Bills), Le’Veon Bell (Steelers), Josh Gordon (Browns), John Abraham (Cardinals), Sean Smith (Chiefs), and Fred Davis (Redskins).

These men are role models for our children. Young apologized to his fans on Facebook and said that they should be warned by the mistake he made. While his post was refreshingly candid, it seems too little, too late.

The NFL has an opportunity to keep its players away from alcohol and drugs and keep them off the road after drinking and drugging. The players have an the duty to demonstrate good judgment.

With the Super Bowl around the corner, I urge the NFL and all professional athletes to make the anti-DUI message a top priority in 2016.

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