Getty Vontae Davis prepares to enter the field before a Buffalo Bills game.
A former Buffalo Bills cornerback who generated controversy and ridicule for his abrupt exit from the team has been arrested in Florida.
Reporter Andy Slater of Fox Sports 640 reported on February 4 that former NFL player Vontae Davis was arrested in Florida on charges of DUI. According to Slater, police said Davis was involved in an accident before being found sleeping near the road.
Police Detail Allegations Against Vontae Davis
Slater reported that Davis was arrested on Saturday in South Florida after police say he was involved in a crash that injured a person.
Police said they “found Davis lying down sleeping on the shoulder of the road” after he had “crashed into a disabled car on the side of the highway, which then hit a person next to it,” according to Slater.
Slater added that the former Pro Bowler offered an odd explanation to police about why he had fallen asleep.
“Vontae Davis told cops he had two mixed drinks and was coming from a club, sources say,” Slater tweeted. “When asked why he was sleeping on the side of the road, he said ‘I was tired.’ The person who got hit was taken to the hospital with multiple injuries.”
SLATER SCOOP: Former NFL Pro Bowl CB Vontae Davis was arrested for DUI in S. Florida on Saturday.
Davis allegedly crashed into a disabled car on the side of the highway, which then hit a person next to it.
Cops found Davis lying down sleeping on the shoulder of the road.
The allegations along with Davis’ smiling mugshot led to some criticism online and recollections of his unusual exit from the NFL.
“How many times are we going to continue to see these…. Call an UBER!!!” one person tweeted.
“He quit halfway home,” one person commented on Twitter, making a joking reference to Davis’ NFL retirement.
Davis Quit on Bills Midway Through Game in 2018
Davis had joined the Bills as a highly sought-after free agent in the 2018 offseason, but his career with the team would be unusually short. In the middle of a September 16, 2018, game against the Los Angeles Chargers, Davis left the locker room at halftime and went home without explaining to teammates why he had left. He returned home and retired from the NFL.
“Pulled himself out of the game,” said Bills head coach Sean McDermott, via USA Today. “He communicated to us that he was done.”
Davis later explained his decision, saying in an interview with ESPN’s The Undefeated that he suddenly realized he could no longer keep pace with the game.
“I went to the bench after that series and it just hit me,” Davis said. “I don’t belong on that field anymore.”
Davis said told Bills defensive backs coach John Butler that he was done, and left the stadium halftime. Davis added that he didn’t expect others to understand his reasoning, but said he stood by his decision.
“Leaving was therapeutic,” Davis said. “I left everything the league wanted me to be, playing for my teammates while injured, the gladiator mentality, it all just popped. And when it popped, I just wanted to leave it all behind. So that’s why I don’t care what people say. That experience was personal and not meant for anyone else to understand. It was me cold turkey leaving behind an identity that I carried with me for so long.”
Tre’Davious White re-enacting Vontae Davis retiring at halftime has me rolling. 😭😭😭 (via @KennyWitTheYYK)
Still, the abrupt exit from the team led to sharp criticism from Bills fans and some hard feelings from his teammates. In a 2020 interview, Bills cornerback Tre’Davious White and former running back LeSean McCoy roasted Davis.