Vikings receiver Jordan Addison vowed to learn from his second driving offense in the past calendar year and believes he deserves any punishment that might come down from the law, the league or his head coach.
Vikings’ Jordan Addison says, ‘I own up to everything’ after DUI arrest
Vikings receiver Jordan Addison wouldn’t discuss details of his July 12 arrest in Los Angeles, but praised his teammates for their support after his second driving offense in a year.
The Minnesota Star Tribune
July 24, 2024 at 10:42PM
Asked after Wednesday’s first training camp practice if he’s expecting a suspension from the NFL for his July 12 arrest for suspicion of driving under the influence, Addison said, “I’m not sure what’s going on. I own up to whatever it is, whatever disciplinary actions that come my way. I’m going to stand tall, get through it. Same thing [with the team]. Whatever is out there for me, I’m going to stand on all 10 and take whatever come with it. I own up to everything. I feel anything that comes my way was meant to happen or is deserved. So I’ll do what I do.”
California Highway Patrol officers found Addison, 22, asleep at the wheel of a Rolls-Royce while blocking lanes of traffic on a highway near Los Angeles International Airport. On July 20 of last year, he was cited for going 140 mph — 85 mph above the speed limit — on Interstate 94 in St. Paul. He pleaded guilty to a petty misdemeanor, paid a $686 fine and told reporters, “I am going to learn from this and not repeat the behavior. I am truly sorry.”
On Wednesday, Addison wouldn’t discuss details of his recent arrest, citing advice from his attorney and his agent. He shifted quickly to the support he’s received from teammates.
“This is probably the most peace I’ve felt being out here with my teammates,” he said. “They welcomed me. They had their arms around me through the whole situations. I’m still JA. I’m going to show them every day that I’m going to move past it and keep learning.”
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Receiver Justin Jefferson said teammates trust Addison’s character.
“No one knows Jordan besides the people in this building,” Jefferson said. “We know what he’s going through and what type of situation he is in. We’re telling him to lean on us and talk to us about anything he’s going through. We always will be here for him.”
Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell said Monday he will wait for the NFL’s investigation and the legal process to play out before deciding whether Addison warrants punishment from the team.
“Of course, we’re disappointed in Jordan,” O’Connell said. “We care about these players. We really do. We want to make sure we’re doing our part on the development on the field and the other aspect of that is off the field and life skills and decision-making and learning how important it is within our culture that we’re very proud of that our players understand personal responsibility and accountability.”
As for guaranteeing there isn’t another arrest that he’ll be asked to explain, Addison said he’ll just “take it one day at a time. Just put one foot in front of the other. Just come out here and score touchdowns for my team. Be a great teammate. Be a great son. Be a great brother. And just keep learning from my mistakes. I ain’t got it all figured out right now, but I’m just going to keep moving forward. … Can’t no adversity make me break. I’m just going to be me.”
Addison also thanked teammates for lifting his spirits when he was “down trying to block the world out” as people on social media responded to news of his arrest.
“It be a lot on me sometimes when things come out in the media,” Addison said. “A lot of people that’s reading it don’t know who I am for real. They’re just judging me from the incident. They’re not around me. They don’t know what I do for people outside of football. It be tough. I’m just trying to keep going, make the main thing the main thing, and just score touchdowns for the squad.”
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