NFL star facing drunk driving charges after traffic incident

Arizona Cardinals fans are likely familiar with Michael Floyd. The 27-year-old wide receiver set seven school records at Notre Dame before being selected by the Cardinals in the first round of the 2012 NFL draft, and he went on to play in 63 of the team’s 64 regular season games over the next four campaigns including a breakout 1,000 yard season in 2014. The Cardinals picked Floyd despite lingering questions about his drinking and decision making, and those questions resurfaced on Dec. 12 when reports emerged that he faces drunk driving charges after an incident in Scottsdale.

According to a Scottsdale Police Department report, officers became suspicious when they came upon a Cadillac SUV at the intersection of Goldwater Boulevard and Camelback Road at approximately 3:00 a.m. They say that the vehicle was stationary in a left turn lane and failed to move when the light turned green. Officers claim that they were only able to rouse Floyd by pounding loudly on the windows of his SUV, and they say that the star wide receiver then refused their requests to exit his vehicle.

Officers allege that Floyd was unsteady on his feet and disorientated when they were finally able to remove him from his vehicle, and they claim that the athlete’s speech was slurred and his breath smelled of alcohol. Floyd is said to have admitted to consuming two drinks about seven hours prior to the incident. Officers say that the NFL star initially refused to provide a breath or blood sample, but his blood was subsequently drawn after police obtained a court order.

Most drunk driving cases are settled by plea bargains, and experienced criminal defense attorneys could find it more difficult to negotiate with prosecutors when their clients have made incriminating statements or acted belligerently toward police officers. Defense attorneys may encourage individuals facing drunk driving charges to cooperate with police but make no statements without first obtaining legal representation.