The Arizona native represented Agua Fria in high school football in Avondale. Then, under the direction of head coach Pete Carroll, he played for the Trojans.
With his victory as the 2007 Pac-12 Defensive Freshman of the Year, Everson Griffen made his defensive presence known as a formidable one. In 12 games that season, he recorded 21 tackles, 5.5 sacks, and two forced fumbles.
Everson Griffen Arrested for DUI Charges
Everson Griffen, a former NFL defensive end, was detained for allegedly driving while intoxicated, according to jail records.
The tweet below confimed the news of his arrest:
Sad situation: Former Minnesota #Vikings 4x star Pro Bowl pass rusher Everson Griffen was arrested for driving under the influence in Minnesota, per @ChrisLongKSTP.
Griffen was booked and released Saturday afternoon.
Everson has battled mental illness in the open, and two… pic.twitter.com/bdFoCdVG94
— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) July 23, 2023
He wasn’t officially charged, but at 12:41 p.m. he was taken into custody in Carver County and released an hour later. In 2021, Griffen spent his final season in the NFL with the Minnesota Vikings. He had served with the NFC North team twice before.
He disclosed his fight with bipolar disorder in that year. After he posted a troubling Instagram video, things escalated to the point where law enforcement and mental health professionals visited his home. The Vikings expressed their support for Everson Griffen in a linked statement, saying:
“Our focus remains on Everson’s health and safety and providing proper resources for him and his family.”
When he threatened to attack Hotel Ivy staff members in Minneapolis in September 2018, the former USC star athlete also had to deal with his mental health issues. According to a related report made public by the Minnetrista Police Department, Griffen was displaying paranoid traits.
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Everson Griffen’s Football Career
Griffen’s initial contract with the Vikings was until 2019. He was a member of the 2017 Second Team All-Pro and a four-time Pro Bowl participant during that span. He recorded a career-high 13 sacks that year along with 45 tackles and three forced fumbles.
His contributions enabled Minnesota to record a 13-3 regular-season record. The Philadelphia Eagles defeated them in the NFC Championship Game, though.
Everson Griffen signed a one-year contract with the Dallas Cowboys in August 2020 after playing with the Vikings for 10 seasons. He was dealt to the Detroit Lions two months later in exchange for a conditional sixth-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
Griffen finished the 2020 season with 14 games played, 33 tackles, six sacks, and four passes defended.
In 2021, Everson Griffen joined the Vikings once more. He was initially cut from the team in August, but has since returned. After a single-vehicle collision a month later, he also had a concussion.
Due to mental health issues, Griffen was put on the non-football illness list and was only able to play in nine games that season. He still got five sacks, which is almost as many as he did in 2020 despite playing less games.
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