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Michael Floyd may possibly go from football’s biggest stage to an Arizona jail cell in less than three weeks’ time.
Floyd, a former standout wide receiver for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, was charged Dec. 12 with “super extreme DUI” - which sounds like an “Animal House” reference, but is no laughing matter. Floyd, found passed out behind the wheel of his vehicle, allegedly had a blood alcohol concentration of .217 — 2 1⁄2 times the legal limit in Arizona.
The Arizona Cardinals released Floyd, only to see the New England Patriots claim him immediately. The 6-foot-2, 220 pound receiver was inactive for last night’s Super Bowl, but was a contributor for the Patriots during their final regular season game and divisional playoff game versus the Houston Texans.
Talk about a 180. #believeinyourself #SuperBowlChampions pic.twitter.com/Z2YVVLlBfJ
— MichaelFloyd (@MichaelMFloyd) February 6, 2017
Floyd is due back in court Feb. 24 for a pre-trial hearing on multiple charges. If the receiver pleads guilty or is convicted, he would be sentenced to at least 45 days of jail time.
The Patriots hold Floyd’s rights until March, at which point they can resign him. Ian Rapoport, NFL.com’s national insider, said Floyd would be “one of the more coveted receivers in the free agent market.”
Floyd had struggled with alcohol since coming to Notre Dame in 2009. He had three run-ins with the law, including a March 2011 DUI arrest during which he allegedly had a blood-alcohol level of 0.19. The then 21-year-old was sentenced to one year of probation, fined $200 and had his licensed suspended for 90 days. He also had to attend a victim impact panel, where family members of those killed in DUI crashes spoke.
Floyd has been living in a hotel three minutes from the Patriots practice facility. He has spoken little about his arrest, and abruptly ended an interview with a Boston Globe reporter who asked him if he had consumed alcohol since his arrest.
After Floyd was reinstated to the Notre Dame team, he told reporters he had “embarrassed” his family and was motivated not to let them down again.
Floyd has said he’d like to return to the Patriots.
Scottsdale police released video of the traffic stop of Floyd, as well as a blood draw collected at the station.