As you have probably heard, Baltimore Ravens rookie linebacker Sergio Kindle was arrested for drunk driving on Sunday and had a blood-alcohol concentration of more than twice the legal limit of .08. This is Kindle’s second DUI since 2007, and he also crashed his car into a building in 2009 — an accident he attributed to texting while driving.
Kindle was the 43rd overall pick in this year’s draft out of the University of Texas. He suffered a fractured skull in July when he reportedly fell down two flights of stairs. The Ravens signed Kindle, despite the fact that he was unlikely to play at all this season (and he isn’t going to) to a one-year contract worth about $300,000. Now, it’s unclear if Kindle will ever play for the team that drafted him — or any other team — given his history of character and health concerns. Doctors recently told Kindle that he may not be ready to play next season, anyway.
The DUI also comes less than a week after Ravens receiver Donte’ Stallworth received an award for courage following his own drunk driving incident in 2009. It seems like Kindle should have learned something from the “courageous” Stallworth, but obviously he didn’t. It’s clear he didn’t learn anything from his previous DUI and obvious he’s an irresponsible person. There are plenty of typically responsible people who make a mistake and learn from it but two DUIs indicates a larger issue.
Kindle’s physical gifts are undeniable, but his judgment is lacking. He’s strong, fast, and agile on the field, but he can’t figure out how to turn the corner when it comes to his decision-making off it. If he’s lucky, the Ravens will consider keeping him around for one more year only because they spent such a high draft pick on him. It seems more likely that his shot will come from somewhere outside of Baltimore, if he’s fortunate enough to be given another one.
