• Font Size    
E-mail

Close Window E-mail This Page

Robinson Was Driving With Suspended License

Required fields are marked with an asterisk(*)



The information you provide will be used only to send the requested e-mail and will not be used to send any other e-mail communications. Read more in our Privacy Policy

Send E-mail

   Print     Share +   

Robinson Was Driving With Suspended License

(WCCO) Prosecutors charged Minnesota Vikings' wide receiver Koren Robinson Wednesday with a felony count of fleeing from police and five misdemeanors, including two counts of driving while intoxicated. According to the criminal complaint, Robinson was driving with a suspended license from North Carolina.

Robinson, 26, was arrested around 11 p.m. Tuesday in Mankato, Minn. after a St. Peter, Minn. police officer clocked him going 100 mph on Highway 169.

Officers in St. Peter were unable to keep up with Robinson, who was driving a blue four-door BMW, so they asked for help from the Mankato Police Department, a police report said.

When stopped, Robinson was arrested without incident. He was given field sobriety tests. According to police, Robinson's blood alcohol content was 0.111 at the scene, and was booked into the Nicollet County Jail on suspicion of drunken driving where he blew a 0.09. Minnesota's legal blood alcohol limit for driving is 0.08.

Robinson license was suspended in March 2005 for driving while intoxicated in North Carolina. It was suspended until March 2007.

His resurgence and trip to the Pro Bowl was one success story the Vikings could claim from a disorderly 2005 season.

The Vikings trusted him enough with a big contract to be their top receiver this year, one of many moves marking the transition to Brad Childress' turn as head coach.

With the regular season still weeks away, though, the Vikings had already reached a rough spot in the road Wednesday, and Robinson's recovery from alcohol addiction appeared to be starting all over again.

Robinson was arrested on his way back to the Vikings' training camp at Minnesota State University, Mankato. Players were expected to report back to their dorm by 11 p.m. They had Tuesday off after a 16-13 exhibition loss to Oakland Monday night at the Metrodome.

Chained at the ankles, he appeared at a brief court hearing wearing an orange jail jumpsuit. After posting $50,000 bail, Robinson left with his wife, Joy, a friend and his attorney, Joe Tamburino. He smiled but did not respond to questions from reporters.

His next court appearance is Oct. 17, but his status with the Vikings until then is up in the air. Childress, who learned of the arrest soon after Robinson missed the team's 11 p.m. curfew, said it was too soon to speculate on his future or the possibility of punishment.

"When you have 24 hours off, it's hard to wander around with them. They understand that," Childress said. "But you know, somebody is going to step over a line. Somebody is not going to be responsible. And I have no tolerance for that. These guys understand that in no uncertain terms."

Tamburino said his client was looking forward to being back with the Vikings as soon as possible.

"Mr. Robinson is a fine individual," Tamburino said. "He takes these matters very seriously."

His agent, Alvin Keels, didn't return messages for comment.

Players were given Tuesday off after losing to Oakland in a preseason game on Monday night.

"I couldn't be more disappointed for him, for the football team, and for the community to have that happen," Childress said.

The 26-year-old Robinson's history with the league includes a four-game suspension in 2004 for a second violation of the NFL's substance-abuse policy while playing for Seattle. NFL spokesman Greg Aiello wouldn't comment on Robinson's new arrest but said the league reviews cases based on its policy.

After pleading guilty to driving under the influence in 2005, Robinson was released by the Seahawks. He later spent 28 days in a treatment facility for alcohol abuse.

Given a second chance with the Vikings, Robinson worked his way up the depth chart and finished with 22 catches for 347 yards and one touchdown while starting five games. As a kickoff returner, he was invited to the Pro Bowl for the first time.

Convinced his problems were in the past, the Vikings signed him in March to a three-year contract worth up to $12.7 million that included $5.5 million in guaranteed money.

"Just in doing my research, I thought he was in a good place," Childress said.

In July, Robinson strongly denied a report that he had slipped out of sobriety. He said in an interview that he was taking some relapse prevention classes in preparation for the season, when there's less time to work on maintaining his recovery and more stress from a pressure to perform and a burden on the body.

"I'm not in rehab. I'm still doing good. I'm still not drinking. I'm still working out. I'm still Koren, the cheerful, happy guy you all saw last year," he said then.

Robinson also said he knew he'd always be under scrutiny as a recovering alcoholic.

"What a demon it must be," Childress said. "I saw no indications out here. He was having a great training camp. Obviously, it was too strong of power and too strong of an influence."

The Vikings have become infamous for finding trouble off the field, including their lewd boat party last fall that led to misdemeanors for four players, though charges against former quarterback Daunte Culpepper were dropped.

Owner Zygi Wilf, who completed his purchase of the club last summer, has vowed to clean up the team's image in the community.

"One of the reasons I'm here in this job and one of the mandates from the Wilf family is that they want this ship run right," Childress said. "I am trying to create a culture of accountability."

Other Vikings said little about the situation.

"We're all adults. You have to be responsible for your actions," cornerback Antoine Winfield. "He did what he did. It's over. We have to move on."

Travis Taylor, who filled Robinson's spot with the first team during Wednesday's practice, talked to the other receivers about staying together.

"I love Koren as a friend. Forget football. It doesn't matter," he said. "I love Koren dearly. That's the bottom line."

At Seattle's camp, coach Mike Holmgren said he was saddened by the news.

"When he was with us, I rooted for him. I tried to help him. I felt I kind of failed the kid somehow," Holmgren said. "He's got to get a grip on this before something bad happens."

(© 2006 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

You need the latest Flash player to view video content.
Click here to download.

Click here to bypass this detection if you already have the latest Flash Player.