Former Tennessee Titans offensive coordinator Todd Downing was arrested for Driving Under the Influence last November. A new police video that was recently leaked and obtained by TMZ Sports, reveals that Downing was speeding home at 2:30 a.m. after receiving a “death threat.”
Downing had just returned to Tennessee following the Titans’ 21-17 victory over the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. He was reportedly driving over 100 mph in the early hours of Friday, Nov. 18, when he was pulled over by a highway patrolman, who noted that Downing had an “odor of alcohol on his breath.”
While Downing originally denied having anything to drink, he admitted to the officer that he had a “victory beer” in Green Bay after he exited his vehicle. The officer then had Downing perform a field sobriety test due to the odor of alcohol on his breath and slurred speech.
“I’m rushing home because there was a death threat on my family,” Downing claimed. “Sir, I was just trying to get home.”
After about three minutes, the officer placed Downing under arrest for DUI. The officer sympathized with Downing’s situation while telling him that he thought he had “entirely way too much to drink tonight to be behind the wheel of the car.”
Downing has since reportedly served jail time after turning himself in to police in late January, according to ESPN. After being fired by the Titans, the New York Jets hired Downing to be the team’s passing game coordinator for the 2023 NFL season. It’s unclear at this time whether he’ll face any additional consequences from the league.
[ESPN, TMZ Sports]