Former Arizona Cardinals receiver and current United Football League (UFL) head coach, Ted Ginn, Jr., was arrested for driving while intoxicated in Tarrant County, Texas, early Saturday morning. He was released from jail later that evening.
Ginn, Jr. is the first-year head coach of the Columbus Aviators of the UFL, a developmental professional football entity.
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The Aviators had a game in Frisco, Texas, at 11:00 a.m. (Central) against the Dallas Renegades. Frisco is located just north of Dallas. The Renegades play their home games at Toyota Stadium, an MLS soccer stadium that is home to FC Dallas.
Ginn, Jr. made a statement to the public on his X account:
“I appreciate the support of my family and the United Football League, and I respect the process as it moves forward. My focus now is on taking the necessary steps to grow from this and represent the Columbus Aviators and this community the right way.”
The Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office made a confirmation with the Columbus ABC station WSYX Channel 6 on the arrest that Ginn, Jr. was booked around 3:30 p.m. central time and then released on a $1,000 bond around 8:30 p.m. Columbus offensive coordinator Todd Haley led the team in the 28-23 loss. Haley was the Cardinals’ OC from 2007-2008 under head coach Ken Whisenhunt.
According to the police report, Ginn, Jr. was stopped in the town of Euless. located halfway between Dallas and Ft. Worth. A Euless Police Department officer pulled Ginn, Jr. over after he made a very wide right turn and also failed to yield at 12:58 a.m. The officer smelled alcohol and then got Ginn, Jr. out of the vehicle to go through some field sobriety tests, which he failed all three. Ginn’s passenger was not charged.
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The league issued a statement from UFL president & CEO Russ Brandon:
“We are aware of an incident involving head coach Ted Ginn Jr. over the weekend and are in the process of gathering more information. Offensive Coordinator Todd Haley will handle the head coaching duties for the Aviators game on Sunday.”
Ginn, Jr. was the ninth overall player taken by the Miami Dolphins in the first round of the 2007 NFL draft out of Ohio State, where he was an elite receiver and track star. He timed out at 4.38 in the 40. He spent three seasons in Miami and made the NFL All-Rookie Team. But he moved on to the San Francisco 49ers and then the Carolina Panthers before landing in Arizona in 2014.
With the Cardinals, he inked a three-year deal for a receiver who could take the top off of a defense with his speed and become the team’s main return man. His contract was for $3.25 million a season.
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At the time, Ginn, Jr. stated:
“I wanted to go somewhere where I could help the team. They needed a fast guy, which I can bring to them. The return game, I can help out. Patrick Peterson is a great returner, but I could help him concentrate on ‘D’ a little bit more. Being able to take the load off (Larry) Fitzgerald from time to time, get (Michael) Floyd involved.”
However, after just a single season, Arizona released him. John Brown had been drafted and basically made Ginn, Jr. an afterthought. Ginn finished with only 14 receptions for 190 yards and no touchdowns, with a long reception of 27 yards. His punt returns never were quite as consistent as the coaching staff was hoping for, as Ginn, Jr. averaged a career-low 19.1 yards per kickoff return.
A fumble on the three-yard line in the Cardinals’ Wild Card playoff loss against the Panthers sealed Ginn, Jr.‘s fate.
