Aside from Ray Rice punching his wife, and Adrian Peterson swatching his kid, the list of domestic violence incidents by NFL players continues to find their way to the light of day.
Ray McDonald and Chris Cook of the San Francsico 49ers,
Tony McDaniel and Kevin Williams of the Seattle Seahawks,
Brandon Marshall and Santonio Holmes of the Chicago Bears,
Greg Hardy of the Carolina Panthers,
Dez Bryant of the Dallas Cowboys,
Erik Walden of the Indianapolis Colts,
Donte Whitner of the Cleveland Browns,
Randy Starks of the Miami Dolphins,
Frostee Rucker of the Arizona Cardinals;
have all been arrested for domestic violence or related charges since 2005, according to a USA Today database that tracks players' arrests since 2000.
Domestic violence and related incidents rank among the NFL’s biggest off-the-field problems, with 87 arrests involving 80 players over the last 14 years. The only other crime category with a larger number of arrests involving NFL players is DUI.
The team with the most arrests of players for domestic violence and related charges is the Denver Broncos, with 12. But it hasn't had one since 2010, when linebacker Kevin Alexander was cut a day after he was accused of hitting his girlfriend (the charges were later dropped).
Of the 12 active players with domestic violence-related arrests, the one with the most is Brandon Marshall, who has three. He’s never been convicted, but he served a three-game suspension in 2008 for personal conduct violations. But from there his story changes. He’s sought treatment, become an outspoken voice against domestic violence and is now considered a success, on and off the field.
Another player who has turned his career around is Bryant, a wide receiver for the Cowboys. In 2012, he was accused of hitting his mother, and agreed to anger counseling in exchange for having the charge dismissed.
Then there’s Walden, a linebacker who was suspended by the Green Bay Packers for one game in 2011 after being jailed for an alleged assault against his live-in girlfriend. In court, he submitted to a deferred judgment agreement that allowed him to avoid pleading guilty while receiving counseling. He’s since landed with the Colts.
Cook, a cornerback, was charged with assaulting his girlfriend in October 2011. He sat out most of the season for the Minnesota Vikings, but was later acquitted of all charges. The Vikings reinstated him, and he now is a teammate of McDonald’s in San Francisco.
McDaniel, a defensive tackle, was on the Miami Dolphins in 2010 when he was arrested for shoving his girlfriend, whose head hit the pavement. He pleaded no contest, was put on probation, and the league suspended him one game. He is now playing in Seattle.
Whitner, a safety then with the Buffalo Bills, was accused of harassment in a domestic dispute with his girlfriend in 2006. The charges were later dropped, and the NFL imposed no punishment. He’s now playing in his native Cleveland.
Cook, a cornerback, was charged with assaulting his girlfriend in October 2011. He sat out most of the season for the Minnesota Vikings, but was later acquitted of all charges. The Vikings reinstated him, and he now is a teammate of McDonald’s in San Francisco.
McDaniel, a defensive tackle, was on the Miami Dolphins in 2010 when he was arrested for shoving his girlfriend, whose head hit the pavement. He pleaded no contest, was put on probation, and the league suspended him one game. He is now playing in Seattle.
Whitner, a safety then with the Buffalo Bills, was accused of harassment in a domestic dispute with his girlfriend in 2006. The charges were later dropped, and the NFL imposed no punishment. He’s now playing in his native Cleveland.
Holmes, a wide receiver, has a long list of run-ins with the law. His domestic violence arrest came in 2006, when he was with the Pittsburgh Steelers and the mother of his children accused him of choking her and slamming her into a door. But she later was reluctant to testify, and the charges were dropped. Holmes’ lawyers promised he’d participate in counseling through the NFL. He now plays with Marshall in Chicago.
Williams, a defensive tackle with a lengthy history of legal troubles, was on the Vikings in 2005 when he was accused of domestic assault for a fight with his wife at home. He pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct and was put on probation, but the NFL didn’t suspended him. In 2011, however, Williams was suspended for using performance enhancing drugs. He now plays in Seattle.
Greg Hardy of the Panthers, today, asked for and was granted a leave of absence to deal with his domestic violence conviction and appeal.
Ray McDonald, the 49er defensive end who was arrested Aug. 31 for allegedly assaulting his pregnant fiancée at his 30th birthday party in San Jose. Free on bail, McDonald has not missed a game. Advocates for domestic abuse victims, along with public officials, including California Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, have urged the 49ers to bench McDonald.
And just when you thought it might be settling down........
The Arizona Cardinals can apparently be added to the list of teams with problems with domestic violence. It is being reported by 3TV reporter Tyler Baldwin (in Phoenix) that Arizona Cardinals running back Jonathan Dwyer was arrested by Phoenix Police for domestic violence in connection with two domestic violence incidents that occurred over the summer. The Cardinals have deactivated Dwyer from all team activities.
Of course, if the Cardinals do cut Dwyer, the next man up on the roster would likely be practice squad running back Chris Rainey — who has had two separate domestic violence incidents, one in college that got him kicked off the team at Florida, and one in the NFL that got him cut by the Steelers.
Arizona has already had to deal with linebacker Daryl Washington. He is currently suspended, but under the league's substance abuse policy, but gave a guilty plea to aggravated assault on the mother of his child. He has yet to be punished by the league for the assault.
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