Henry Ruggs III and drunk-driving: Does the NFL have a DUI problem?

By far the biggest criminal issue in the NFL in the past quarter century is driving under the influence of alcohol.  Nothing else even comes close, according to the Paste BN Sports database of 1,023 player arrests and citations since 2000.

About 25% of those incidents involve suspicion of DUI, a rate of about one per month.

Since 1998, four NFL players have been accused of driving drunk and killing another person, including last week in Las Vegas, where a 23-year-old woman died after police said her vehicle was slammed by the speeding Corvette of Raiders wide receiver Henry Ruggs, who has since been released by the team.

But does that mean NFL players have a drunk-driving problem?

Well, yes – and no, depending on how the problem is measured.

“No, I don’t think it’s safe to say the NFL has a DUI problem,” former NFL wide receiver Torrey Smith told Paste BN Sports Friday. “It’s a society problem.”

The NFL considers even one arrest to be too many, especially any incident that causes a death. Since July, at least three other NFL players also have faced charges of driving drunk.

At the same time, Smith has a point. The NFL’s DUI arrest rate in the past nine years is roughly one per 300 players – a rate that is considerably lower than the general population rate of one DUI arrest per 222 licensed drivers in 2019, according to government data and the arrests database. The NFL’s rate compares even more favorably with men in the same age range of 20 to 29.

“That’s because players have become more aware of the disastrous effects of them,” NFL player agent Leigh Steinberg said.

To the league’s credit, the NFL rate also has gone down significantly after a number of changes that came since the last time an NFL player caused the death of another person in a drunk-driving wreck.

The last fatal DUI crash

That was in December 2012, when Dallas Cowboys player Josh Brent was driving drunk near Dallas and lost control of his car, killing his teammate Jerry Brown in the passenger seat. In some sort of cosmic coincidence, the tragedy occurred less than two miles down the road from headquarters of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD). Since then, the NFL has cracked down on the problem even more by increasing the baseline suspension for a first-time offense to two games in 2014 and then three games last year. Before that, the baseline punishment for a first-time DUI was fines but not suspensions.

Ride-share companies Uber and Lyft also became widespread since then, giving intoxicated patrons more convenient options.

So then why don’t these athletes hire a driver? Shouldn’t the DUI arrest rate be lower for these players who have college educations and high levels of income?

“NFL players, many star athletes, celebrities – they think they are invincible, and that their choices don’t have consequences and their choices won’t hurt other people,” MADD National President Alex Otte told Paste BN Sports.

Ruggs, 22, signed a four-year contract last year for nearly $17 million. He used some of it on that Corvette and seemingly didn’t want to leave it where it was after drinking.

“If Person A drives to a venue, Person A expects to drive back from that venue,” said Smith, who helped win two Super Bowls with the Baltimore Ravens and Philadelphia Eagles. “I really think it’s that simple, and that’s why we see the issue we see on a day-to-day basis. He drove there (to where he was drinking). What was he going to do -- leave his car there? That’s the responsible thing – leave your car there and get a ride. But unfortunately, we see that people refuse to make that decision each and every night. And innocent people pay the price for it.”

The problem was much worse before the incident involving Brent, who was convicted of intoxication manslaughter and sentenced to 180 days in jail.

Tracking the problem

From 2000 through 2012, the NFL averaged more than 14 DUI arrests per year, according to the database. Since then, the database shows less than nine per year. Since January 2016, the database shows less than eight per year – out of an average population of roughly 2,500 players per year on 32 teams, with team roster sizes fluctuating during the year from 90 down to 53, plus practice squads.

Those charged with DUI also usually pay some kind of price. More than 80% of NFL player DUI cases whose resolutions could be determined lead to convictions with punishment or diversion programs, often through plea bargains, according to the database.

NFL PLAYER ARRESTS: Tracking arrests, charges and citations since 2000

“No one ever thinks it’s going to happen to them,” Otte said. “It’s easy to separate yourself from an issue until it does happen to you and it does impact your life.”

Paste BN Sports has tracked the arrests and criminal citations of active NFL players since 2000 as part of an effort to provide context on player conduct issues that have vexed the league, including domestic violence and drunk driving. The overall arrest rate for the NFL also historically has been significantly less than that of the general population, according to findings by Paste BN Sports and a study from the University of Texas at Dallas.

Some incidents avoid detection or come to light later, but the findings show that an overwhelming amount of the 1,000-plus incidents are misdemeanor cases, often resulting from traffic stops. After DUI arrests, the next biggest arrest category for NFL players involves drug-related charges, such as marijuana possession. They represent about 15% of all arrests, according to the database.

The NFL has tracked similar data on its own and has stressed drunk-driving prevention in a partnership with MADD since 2010. Since the Ruggs crash, MADD also has been in contact with the league, including sending a letter to the Raiders.

The NFL didn’t return a message seeking comment.

The NFL Players Association discontinued its on-demand driver service program for players in 2019, “mainly because of the growing prevalence of Uber, Lyft and other ride share services,” NFLPA spokesman Brandon Parker said. The players union also previously had partnerships with Uber and Lyft, in which players were given a pre-determined amount in credits to use each year.

“Players are still able to secure pre-arranged driver services using the 1-800 number on the back of their NFLPA membership cards,” Parker said. “We also make a point during our annual team meetings to promote the importance of safe practices when driving, the usage of the many ride share service apps at their disposal, and that their union serves as a continued resource for them whenever they need it.”

Otte of MADD stressed that drunk driving is a choice and that "these choices do have consequences,”

“We have sent a letter to the team that we are here and available and ready to have those conversations with whoever is available to listen," Otte said.

Steinberg knows all about such choices. “I’m a poster boy,” Steinberg said

After slamming into three parked cars in 2007, he was arrested on suspicion of DUI, his second DUI arrest since 1996. Fortunately, no one was seriously injured.

'Dramatically changed'

Steinberg said he since has been sober for 12 years. He said his clients are informed by his agency “about issues involving alcohol” before they’re even drafted into the NFL. Previous star clients also often would get an off-duty or retired policeman to accompany them in public.

Over time, Steinberg has noticed the league getting more serious about this issue as well.

“NFL policy has dramatically changed in the last 20 years,” he told Paste BN Sports.

That includes more education about prevention and tougher penalties. In 1998, St. Louis Rams player Leonard Little was driving under the influence, ran a red light and killed a woman in a collision. He pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and was sentenced to 90 nights of incarceration. After being inactive the rest of the season, Little received an eight-game suspension from the NFL in 1999, allowing him to play in the Super Bowl in January 2000.

Less than 11 years later, Cleveland Browns receiver Donte Stallworth was driving under the influence in Miami Beach when his car struck a pedestrian and killed him. He served 24 days in jail and had his driver’s license permanently suspended. The league suspended him for the entire 2009 season.

Both Stallworth and Little both got second chances in the league. So did Josh Brent, who was issued a 10-game suspension in 2014 after sitting out the 2013 season.

Will Ruggs play in the league again?

Steinberg said it’s too early to tell.

Smith said he doesn’t think so. That’s because of allegations against him include “very reckless” behavior, including speeding at 156 mph and a blood-alcohol level of twice the legal limit (.161).

He agrees that NFL players should be held to a higher standard because of their high profile.

“To whom much is given, much is required,” Smith said. “Being in a position like that you have a lot of people who are looking to you. It’s important to make sure you’re walking that line. But we also need to view athletes as people. People make stupid decisions each and every day, and I think that’s really what it all boils down to. Drinking and driving is what no one should be doing.”

He and Steinberg stress creating a plan to get home when going out for drinks. Or there’s another solution: Don’t drink.

Smith said he doesn’t drink or smoke.

“I’ve never seen a drunk person that actually makes a good decision,” Smith said. “I’ve rarely come across people who feel like they’ve had too much to drink. They feel like they’re fine. No one thinks it’s going to be them until it’s them. And that’s why we’re here.”

Follow reporter Brent Schrotenboer @Schrotenboer. E-mail: bschrotenb@usatoday.com