Celebrity Scandal!
DWTS Mirror Ball Trophy winner and NFL Superbowl champ Hines Ward nabbed by police for DUI?
[Jul. 9]
Former NFL star and winner of last season’s Dancing with the Stars, Hines Ward, was arrested at 3:41 a.m. on a drunk driving charge in DeKalb County, Georgia, just outside Atlanta, according to the LA Times. The former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver was a favorite on DWTS with professional dancing partner Kym Johnson. He was released on $1,300 bond.
This is not the first trouble Hines has had with police. While filming for DWTS, Hines Ward was stopped by LAPD at a gas station. The female driver of the vehicle was ordered out of her car and made to lie face down on the pavement. Hines also was questioned during the incident. But it turned out the police were responding to an outdated report that listed the car as stolen. Reportedly, Hines was cooperative and said the police were just doing their jobs.
Police are not releasing any additional details about the drunk driving charge, but one has to wonder if a drunk Hines Ward was as cooperative as he was on Los Angeles. A Steelers spokesperson did not respond to a request for comments, and it is unknown if Hines Ward has an attorney, according to the Huffington Post.
What is clear is Hines Ward is disputing the charges quite public while responding to media sources like TMZ.
Police in DeKalb County (or anywhere else in Georgia) are not known for their leniency and certainly aren’t as liberally minded as police in Los Angeles. Maybe they will cut the former Super Bowl MVP a little slack for being a hometown hero, but they may just string him up as an example. Ward was a third-round draft pick in Georgia in 1998 and went on to win two Super Bowls. He also was the second professional football player to win a DWTS competition, following former NFL running back Emmit Smith.
Green Celebrity: Hines Ward
Football player and reality television star Hines Ward is a green celebrity. Known for his advocacy for mixed race kids (especially those who are part Korean), the humanitarian ball player seems to have a kind and generous spirit. His reputation for being a tough footballer but a good guy off the field has left him in a position to support a wide variety of charities.