Everson Griffen, who enjoyed a standout 12-year NFL career, has been arrested once again. This time, he was taken into custody at the Hennepin County Jail on suspicion of drug possession and probable cause of DWI on Saturday, September 6.
The former Minnesota Vikings standout edge rusher was arrested back in July for going 62 MPH in a 40 MPH zone. He was again taken into custody on August 26 for not complying with a police officer. At that time, he was reportedly walking on I-394 near downtown Minneapolis around 3 a.m. and failed to comply with the officer's demands to leave the road.
According to the Minnesota Star Tribune, Griffen was going 100 MPH when his car struck another vehicle. He then fled the scene and was pulled over 15 miles from the scene, still driving recklessly roughly four miles from his home. He was taken into custody and is now being held without bond.
This is the latest incident in a string of bad luck (and worse decisions) for Griffen. Unfortunately, this situation also indicates that his sobriety has fallen by the wayside due to the mental health crisis he's seemingly enduring.
On June 30, Griffen shared that he was approaching one year of sobriety via an Instagram post:
Life has given me every chance imaginable to keep my friends, protect my name, build a legacy my family could be proud of, and live an outstanding life, but l've been distant because I've been deep in the lonely work of owning that it's all been my fault, the repeated mistakes, the burnt bridges, the pain I caused myself and others, the guilt and shame, and the hidden hurt I carried from childhood that showed up as a cry for help nobody fully saw.
I was blessed with success and opportunities most only dream of, survived amounts of drugs and partying that should have taken me out many times over, and I'm approaching a year of sobriety that is still brutally hard every single day, yet God's favor kept me here when I didn't deserve it.
I'm grateful, I'm humbled, I'm staying 100% real with Him and myself, and I'm finally ready to go deep into my full authentic story from the beginning the truth, the fear, the resilience, the grit, the new look at life, and the chances I still have ,so I can grow every day and share the no-sugarcoating wisdom that might help somebody else understand their own pain and find strength to keep going.
I had CHANCES. I'm scared but there is never a right time. The time is now.
It would be irresponsible to theorize whether his sobriety was broken prior to him being arrested on Saturday (especially when he didn't receive any drug-related charges). However, with the latest charges being what they are, it's safe to assume that his sobriety has fallen by the wayside.
We certainly hope that he can get the help he needs and can move forward onto a new path towards sobriety. At this point, it seems like he's dealing with a situation that is careening downhill without brakes. It's increasingly becoming unstable.
Griffen actually had his sights set on a return to the NFL before being arrested in July. He said that he still had something left in the tank when speaking on Josina Anderson's podcast , The Exhibit , on July 26.
"My desire is to play again," Griffen said. "I know the things that I've done. I've burnt bridges, but I feel like that's reparable. I'm willing to do anything to mend them. I'm saying clear, you don't have to worry about me going back to using again because this life is so much clearer."
Griffen was a great player over his 12-year career (11 of those years in Minnesota). He finished his career with 85.5 sacks and made four Pro Bowls while donning the Purple and Gold. However, any chance he had of making a triumphant return has unfortunately become null and void.
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