Saints: We'll support Collins
Quarterback arrested on drunken driving charge after game in Charlotte
Posted: Monday November 02, 1998 09:29 PM
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Kerry Collins was booked early Monday morning at the Mecklenburg County Jail CNN/SI |
CHARLOTTE, North Carolina (CNN/SI) -- New Orleans Saints
quarterback Kerry
Collins was arrested and charged with drunken driving early Monday,
hours after a game against his former Carolina Panthers
teammates.
A Saints representative told CNN/SI on Monday that the Saints will keep
Collins and support him, and Saints general manager Bill Kuharich told
Sports Illustrated senior writer Peter King: "I think this will set
[Collins] back but our plans are still to give him a shot to play for this
team."
King reports that the Saints still plan to give Collins a three- or
four-game trial as the team's starting quarterback later this season.
While he was being processed, Collins signed autographs for personnel at
the Mecklenburg County Jail. Collins was driven to his home in Charlotte by
his attorney, George Laughrun, who lives across the street.
"Kerry is obviously concerned about this. He's upset," Laughrun told The
Charlotte Observer. "That's pretty much all we're going to say."
The attorney said the trooper who made the arrest said Collins was weaving
in the lane and crossed the center line before being stopped about 12:50
a.m. near the intersection of South and East boulevards, near downtown and
the Panthers' stadium.
Collins' business manager was called to the jail to bring bond money,
Laughrun said.
Collins wasn't absent from his team because he had permission from coach
Mike Ditka to stay in Charlotte a few days, Laughrun said.
Ditka told WWL radio in New Orleans on Monday that he did not know much
about the arrest. He said he had given Collins, Chad Cota and Eric
Guilford permission to stay over in Charlotte and not fly back with the
team.
"The one thing I did tell Kerry was that it's a pretty hostile environment,
and you've got to be awfully careful. So, evidently he wasn't careful,"
Ditka said.
Ditka refused to speculate on what action he might take.
"You don't know if he was even intoxicated. Nobody knows. Nobody knows
that. So, I don't know. It's foolish to sit here and to say he's wrong or
right or whatever, I just don't want to do that. I don't know.
"And I'm not defending him. Hey, he's a big boy. You've got to know where
all the pitfalls in life are. And I'm certain there's more in North
Carolina right now than there are in Louisiana," Ditka said.
Asked about his remark last week that Collins needed to find the Lord and a
woman, Ditka said: "He took the first part of the advice, not the second.
You've got to find the Lord first and then a woman."
During Sunday's game, Collins was booed and taunted by Carolina fans during
New Orleans' 31-17 loss to the Panthers.
Highway Patrol trooper R. Benge said he arrested Collins at 12:50 a.m.
today at a downtown Charlotte intersection after pulling over a 1995 Lexus.
Benge said Collins appeared to be intoxicated and refused to take a
Breathalyzer test. Highway Patrol spokeswoman Sara Kempen said Collins
refused to take the breath test on the advice of his attorney.
Collins (right) didn't play in Sunday's loss to the Panthers AP | |
Kempen said the trooper said Collins had an elevated alcohol reading on a
pocket-sized sensor called an Alkasensor that troopers carry in their cars.
That reading wasn't available because it isn't used as evidence, she said.
"He declined to answer any questions," the trooper said. "... There was a
young lady that was with him, and she was also arrested."
Benge said the car belonged to the woman. Michelle Moore, 27, was charged
with aiding and abetting driving while impaired, according to jail records.
Collins did not offer any resistance, the trooper said.
"I was not aware that it was Mr. Collins before I stopped the vehicle,"
Benge said. "He was very polite."
Collins was taken to the Mecklenburg County Jail, where he posted a $1,000
bond and was driven home about 4 a.m. In television video, Collins was seen
walking out of the jail with a large cigar in his mouth.
Collins is scheduled to make a first court appearance Nov. 12.
In August 1997, Collins was involved in an incident in which he reportedly
used an offensive racial term in reference to former teammate Muhsin Muhammad. Collins
apologized for what he said was a remark made in jest, but the incident
prompted speculation as to whether Collins had a drinking in problem.
Collins has denied having an alcohol problem.
Collins, a former Pro Bowl quarterback, was claimed off waivers by New
Orleans last month after telling Carolina coach Dom Capers his heart was no
longer into being the Panther's QB.
On Sunday, Collins was booed when he entered Ericsson Stadium and when he
exited at halftime. In fact, he was the first one off the field for the
Saints at the break and exhorted the crowd as they booed him.
Collins, the first pick of the expansion Panthers in 1995, stood on the
sideline in a baseball hat with arms folded and never appeared to be close
to entering the game against his former team.
Collins' return drew some mixed reaction from his former teammates.
"I told the guys in the locker room that there's a guy on the other
sideline that didn't think you guys were good enough to play with," said
Panthers fullback William
Floyd.
But Steve Beuerlein, who
took over as the Carolina starter when Collins departed, hugged his friend
at midfield after the game.
Collins refused to talk to reporters after the game.
Some fans wore their feelings on their backs. One man seen walking into the
stadium had patched over the final five letters of his No. 12 Collins
jersey and replaced it with "Coward." Another woman had "Quitter" on the
back of her Collins jersey and an "X" over his number.
Copyright 2003 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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