Steelers WR Ward arrested in Georgia, suspected of DUI

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward was arrested early Saturday morning on suspicion of driving under the influence, the DeKalb County sheriff's office confirmed to NFL Network.

Mug shot of Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward following his arrest early Saturday on suspicion of DUI. (DeKalb County Jail/Special to NFL.com)

The former Super Bowl MVP and reigning "Dancing With the Stars" champ was booked into the DeKalb County jail just outside Atlanta at 3:41 a.m. and charged with driving under the influence. A jail official said he was released on $1,300 bond, though the sheriff's office website said his bond was set at $1,000. The discrepancy couldn't be immediately resolved Saturday.

The sheriff's office said it had turned over paperwork to the courts and couldn't release any further information about the player's arrest.

A Steelers spokesman did not immediately respond to a message, and it was not immediately clear if Ward had an attorney.

On the heels of his "Dancing With the Stars" crown, Ward signed with Craftsman as a campaign spokesman in June, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Since being drafted by the Steelers in the third round out of Georgia in 1998, the 35-year-old Ward has been a four-time Pro Bowl selection and won two Super Bowls. Ward is credited with 11,702 receiving yards and 83 touchdown catches during his 13 NFL seasons. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Woman arrested after allegedly asking Titans' Williams for bribe

Titans wide receiver Damian Williams was the target of an extortion attempt, according to police who arrested and charged an Antioch, Tenn., woman Monday, The Tennessean reported.

Shelley Anne David, who filed a domestic assault complaint against Williams earlier this month, was charged with one count of extortion and held on bond. Police say David, 22, tried to take $5,000 from Williams, the Titans' second-round pick in last year's draft.

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The arrest came when Williams met David in an area parking lot, where she was to receive a $5,000 cashier's check from the receiver. After the handoff was made, David was taken into custody by undercover officers. She's currently being held on bond.

"Damian Williams, in the presence of detectives, placed a phone call to Shelley David this morning and arranged for a meeting," Nashville police spokesman Don Aaron told The Tennessean. "David received a $5,000 cashier's check from Williams and gave him a signed note saying she would not appear in any court proceedings against him. At that point, she was taken into custody."

David had called police to her Antioch apartment June 4, claiming Williams had grabbed her by the arms and bruised her during an argument following an evening out. Police responded and took David to the department's domestic violence division. David initially was unsure about pressing charges, but per department policy, a misdemeanor assault warrant was issued on her behalf.

Williams denied the allegations, and police later found out about text messages David had sent the receiver asking for money that would make any charges stemming from the domestic incident disappear. That set in motion the police operation that led to the woman's arrest, according to the report.

The assault warrant against Williams was dropped Monday, "given the totality of the circumstances and taking into account Ms. David credibility issues," Aaron said.

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Ravens rookie Kindle arrested, charged with drunken driving

JESSUP, Md. -- Baltimore Ravens rookie linebacker Sergio Kindle was arrested early Sunday on drunken driving charges, court records show.

Kindle, 23, was pulled over shortly after 4 a.m. Sunday in the Jessup area. He was cited for driving under the influence of alcohol, speeding and related offenses and was freed on $10,000 bond.

"I haven't talked to the team yet, but I spoke with one of the security guards," Kindle said in a telephone interview. "First and foremost, I would apologize. I don't want to put the organization's name in a negative light due to my actions. I don't know what's going to happen or how they're going to handle that."

Asked how much he had to drink, Kindle said: "It wasn't much, but I guess it was enough. I guess it was enough for me to fail a Breathalyzer. It was over the limit."

Ravens officials were traveling back from Sunday's victory over Cleveland and weren't immediately available to comment.

Kindle, a second-round draft pick, hasn't suited up for the Ravens this year. The former University of Texas star fractured his skull after falling down two flights of stairs in late July at a friend's house in Austin, Texas. He revealed last week that doctors told him he might be forced to sit out next season as well.

Kindle was signed to a one-year, $320,000 contract with no signing bonus or incentives and placed on the reserve non-football injury list. The Ravens could tender him or allow him to become a free agent next year.

He had off-field incidents at Texas, including crashing his car into an apartment building when he said he was texting while driving.

Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press

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Broncos waive LB Alexander on same day he's arrested

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- The Denver Broncos waived rookie linebacker Kevin Alexander hours after he was arrested on a domestic violence allegation.

Team spokesman Patrick Smyth said that although the team was aware of Alexander's arrest, his release was a football decision to clear a roster spot for cornerback Chevis Jackson.

Aurora police were called to an apartment Monday morning and were told by a woman who said she was Alexander's girlfriend that he had assaulted her Sunday night. Alexander, 23, was arrested for investigation of misdemeanor assault and battery. He was taken into custody shortly before noon and was released after posting $2,000 bail. A court date was set for Tuesday.

Alexander's arrest was the third for a Broncos player this season. Linebacker D.J. Williams was stripped of his captaincy after his October arrest on suspicion of drunken driving and rookie cornerback Perrish Cox faces a sexual assault case and potential prison time after his arrest earlier this month.

Alexander played in eight games for the Broncos, including Sunday at Oakland, where he was whistled for an illegal block on a punt return by Syd'Quan Thompson in the second quarter.

Alexander signed with the Broncos in April as an undrafted free agent out of Clemson. He was promoted to the active roster on Oct. 16 after spending the first five weeks on Denver's practice squad. He finished with one tackle on defense and three special teams stops.

The Broncos were awarded Jackson, a third-year player, off waivers from the New England Patriots. He also has played for the Jacksonville Jaguars and Atlanta Falcons.

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Bucs' Stevens arrested on drug charges, doesn't play vs. Rams

TAMPA, Fla. -- Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Jerramy Stevens sat out Sunday's game against the St. Louis Rams after police said he was arrested and charged with possessing marijuana.

Stevens was pulled over in his Ford pickup truck on Saturday at 7:05 a.m. for loud music, Tampa police spokeswoman Andrea Davis said in a news release. The officer said he smelled marijuana inside the vehicle and found 38 grams, or 1 1/3 ounce, of marijuana.

Stevens,30, was taken to jail and charged with possession of marijuana with intent to sell and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Buccaneers spokesman Jonathan Grella said the team was "deeply troubled" by the arrest.

"We take such matters quite seriously," he said. "Obviously Jerramy Stevens will not be playing today, and we will treat this matter with the seriousness it deserves, but in the meantime are focused on playing the Rams."

Stevens was previously convicted of drunken driving in 2007 and pleaded guilty to reckless driving in 2003.

Stevens signed with the Buccaneers in 2007 after spending the first five years of his career with the Seattle Seahawks. The former first-round draft pick had 15 receptions for 130 yards and one touchdown last season and has 202 career catches for 2,217 yards and 22 scores.

Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press

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Shawne Merriman Arrested

"A week before the Chargers are set to open what they hope is a Super Bowl season, the team faces an off-the-field distraction as one of its star players stands accused of domestic violence.

Sheriff's deputies arrested linebacker Shawne Merriman early Sunday morning for allegedly choking, restraining and throwing MTV star Tila Tequila to the ground as she tried to leave his Poway home.

The Sheriff's Department said Tila Nguyen, who is known professionally as Tila Tequila, signed a citizen's arrest complaint charging Merriman with battery and false imprisonment. Both are felonies.

Merriman and his lawyer said the player was trying to keep Nguyen from driving while intoxicated. Merriman said in an interview Sunday night that he is confident he will cleared of any wrongdoing.

"I was trying to help her, not hurt her," Merriman said. "I'm still glad I did what I did." "

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Vontae Davis Says He Wasnt Arrested.

"Whether it was a case of mistaken identity or identity fraud or both, no one can say for sure.

Dolphins rookie Vontae Davis just wants people to know he was not arrested on June 9 in Champaign, Ill., where he starred at the University of Illinois.

A report to that effect surfaced Tuesday morning in The Daily Illini, the campus newspaper. Citing a report filed by Champaign police officer Michael A. Talbott, the newspaper reported Davis had been arrested at 6:47 p.m. and charged with unnecessary vehicular noise and driving without a valid license.

The arrest summary, a copy of which is available online at the City of Champaign Web site, lists a Vontae Ottis Davis and a home address of 920 Emerson Street in Washington, D.C. Both the name and address belong to the Dolphins rookie.

However, Davis and the Dolphins say he was in Davie attending organized team activities on both June 9 and June 10.

"I talked to Vontae, and he told me he was here all day on June 9," said Harvey Greene, Dolphins senior vice president of media relations. "It was an OTA day, followed by a rookie symposium that we know kept him in the building until at least 3:30 [p.m.]. There was no way he could have been in Illinois at 6:40 [p.m.] or whenever that happened."

According to Greene, Davis was back at the Dolphins' complex by 7 a.m. on June 10 for another workout.

"He told me he wasn't there [in Illinois]," Greene said. "Our own people told me he wasn't."

Davis, reached on his cell phone, said he hadn't even been in Champaign since February.

"It's a crazy thing," he said. "When I heard about it, it hit me: 'Oh, God.' It was something I couldn't prepare for. It just came out of nowhere."

According to Davis, his wallet was stolen before he left school to turn pro. He canceled all his credit cards and reported the theft, but theorized it's possible someone who looks similar to him was still using his old driver's license as identification."

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