According to the Minnesota Star Tribune's Paul Walsh on Thursday, former Minnesota Vikings defensive end Everson Griffen has been sentenced to 60 days of house arrest and four years of "supervisory probation" after pleading guilty to third-degree drunken driving following his arrest last May.
Griffen was pulled over by a Minnesota State Trooper last May after he was caught driving 82 mph in a 55 mph zone. The state trooper then wound up arresting the former Vikings defender after his blood alcohol content was measured above the state's legal limit at 0.10 percent and a small vial of cocaine was found in his pocket.
During the length of his probation, Walsh shared that Griffen must "abstain from alcohol and illicit drugs," but he can "pursue employment, go to treatment, receive medical care, and volunteer coach."
Former Minnesota Vikings DE Everson Griffen involved in multiple driving-related incidents since 2023
Griffen's arrest last May was, unfortunately, one of multiple times since 2023 that he had been charged with a crime related to driving.
In July of 2023, he was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving. He then crashed his car into a fence in October of 2023 and was cited for failure to drive with due care. And then, in December of 2023, he was cited for driving 55 mph in a 30 mph zone.
Griffen's last appearance in the NFL was in Week 11 of the 2021 season as a member of the Vikings. During the 2021 campaign, he appeared in nine games, and he accumulated a total of five sacks.
Griffen began his career in the league after Minnesota selected him in the fourth round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He spent his first four seasons as a reserve defensive end for the Vikings, and then the team gave him the opportunity to be a full-time starter in 2014.
After becoming a starter, Griffen wound up developing into one of the best pass rushers to ever put on a Minnesota uniform. Between the 2014 and 2019 seasons, he racked up a total of 57 sacks, and he was voted to the Pro Bowl four times. His 79.5 career sacks with the Vikings are the eighth-most in franchise history.