NFL PLAYER ARRESTS: FACT VS FICTION
Is it just my imagination, or does it seem like more players are getting arrested than usual? If you've been watching the news or reading the newspapers you might think there was cause for major concern. Since January 1st there have been 8 arrests with the most recent one being on February 5th when Green Bay Packers defensive tackle, Letroy Guion was arrested in Starke, Florida after police found a handgun, 357 grams of marijuana and $197,000 in cash.
I was curious about the number of arrests as compared to previous years, so I did a little research on the subject and found some interesting information at a website called “NFL Arrests Database.”
The database was compiled by U-T San Diego and it covered a 15 year period from 2000 to 2014. It also included the 8 arrests that have already occurred in 2015.
The website says “These are arrests and citations involving NFL players were more serious than speeding tickets. U-T San Diego reviewed hundreds of news reports and public records in compiling it. The list cannot be considered comprehensive in part because some incidents may not have been reported and some public records proved to be elusive. Increased media coverage of incidents also probably accounts for more incidents listed in recent years.”
I’m not so sure about that last statement. In reviewing the records I found that over the 15 year period, 770 players were arrested for an average of 51 players per year.
Here are the arrest totals from each year:
As you can see, the largest number of arrests took place in 2006 (71) , 2007 (64) and 2008 (67).
If you want to know which teams had the highest number of players arrested over the 15 year period, here it is:
Denver 45, Cincinnati 42, Minnesota 38, Tennessee 36, Tampa Bay 35, Jacksonville 31, Kansas City 30, Miami 30, Chicago 30, Cleveland 30, Indianapolis 28, San Diego 26, Seattle 24, New Orleans 23, Pittsburgh 23, Baltimore 22, Oakland 21, Washington 21, San Francisco 20, Arizona 19, Atlanta 19, Greenbay 18, Carolina 18, New England 18, Buffalo 17, Dallas 17, Detroit 17, N.Y. Jets 17, N.Y. Giants 14, Philadelphia 13, St. Louis 12, Houston 10 (note: Houston did not enter the NFL until 2002)
Denver tops the list. They play in “Mile High” stadium, so just out of curiosity I had to see how many of their players were arrested for marijuana possession. To my surprise only one player was arrested - and he was acquitted of all charges! I would be surprised to see any future arrests since Colorado has legalized the possession of one ounce of marijuana per person.
DUI’s (Driving Under the Influence) accounted for the largest number of arrests, which I find to be pretty amazing since most of today’s players can afford to hire chauffeurs and shouldn't have any problem paying for a taxi or limousine. On top of that, the NFL and NFLPA both have programs to provide a safe ride home for guys that have had one too many.
While there has been a lot of attention focused on domestic violence and assaults by current players, the research shows that NFL players, per capita, are far less prone to criminal acts than the general population. Benjamin Morris of FiveThirtyEight.com wrote an excellent article on the rate of NFL arrests compared to the general public. Here is his chart showing the comparison:
So now that we know that NFL players are less likely to commit crimes than the general population, why does the media seem to blow this issue out of proportion and make things appear worse than they actually are?
Unfortunately, the Ray Rice and Adrian Peterson arrests have put the NFL and the players under an electron microscope. Both active and retired players will continue to receive intense scrutiny and media attention for any criminal acts they may have committed. I’m a firm believer that no one is guilty until it is proven in a court of law, but the court of public opinion seems to think the NFL and its players are out of control – and to a certain degree, I think their perception is being fueled by the media.
I'm not saying that certain players aren't out of control. In fact, some players probably don't deserve to be in the NFL because no matter how many chances they are given, they don't seem to get the message. The NFL's bad apples can spoil the whole barrel.
I have read hundreds of fan comments posted under on-line articles and most of them think the NFL has a big problem. The truth is our problem isn’t any bigger than the one facing the general population. In fact, NFL players are doing better than the average Joe.
We hear all the bad stories about players that have run afoul of the law, but most players are doing great things in their communities and I think the NFL and the players (both active and retired) should be commended for what they are doing to make this world a better place.
Fortunately, we have folks at the NFL and NFLPA that are doing all they can to spread the gospel. As former players, we get newsletters from both organizations that show us the fantastic work that is being done, but it would be helpful if the general public knew more about our activities. The media could do more to help us in this endeavor, but the stories of players doing good deeds don't sell as many newspapers or attract as many on-line readers as do the arrests of current or former NFL players. Until that changes, we need to blow our own horn as loud as we can and hope we can drown out the noise being made by some folks in the media.
So, to answer the very first question I posed in this article........."It was just my imagination.....once again, runnin away with me."
