GARDEN CITY, N.Y. (Nov. 28, 2006) -- New York Jets offensive lineman Adrian Jones apologized to the team and his family, three days after being charged with driving while intoxicated.
Jones, 25, was fined $20,000 by the team and will be monitored by the NFL as a result of being a first-time offender of the league's substance abuse policy.
Jones was arrested at about 4 a.m. Saturday after he was stopped by police on Hempstead Turnpike and Merrick Avenue -- about a mile from the team's training facility -- for allegedly driving slowly and making an unsafe lane change, said Eric Phillips, a spokesman for Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice.
He was charged with driving while intoxicated and had his license suspended after refusing to take a blood-alcohol test, Phillips said. After being released by a judge Saturday morning, Jones was ordered to return to court on Dec. 15.
Jones, in his third season with the Jets, was on the inactive list and didn't play in Sunday's 26-11 victory over the Houston Texans. Coach Eric Mangini said Monday it was a "just a coaching decision."
"I apologized to my family, my teammates and my coaches for my behavior," Jones said in a statement issued. "I used poor judgment and will be held accountable for it."
An attorney for Jones did not immediately return a telephone call Tuesday seeking further comment.
The Jets said in a statement the team was "extremely disappointed Adrian would put himself in this situation, and we take these allegations very seriously. ... Adrian has apologized to his teammates, the organization and the fans, accepting full responsibility for his actions and the consequences that follow."
Jones, a 6--foot-5, 296-pound lineman from the University of Kansas, was drafted by the Jets in 2004. He has played both left and right tackle positions.
On Thanksgiving weekend 1999, Jones suffered a serious head injury when his car blew a tire and rolled. He spent three days in the intensive care unit at Wichita's Wesley Medical Center. Alcohol was not a factor in that accident, officials said.
Jones was returning to Lawrence, Kan., from his home in Dallas with his brother Christopher and Jayhawks teammate Derick Miller. Jones, who had just removed his seat belt to take off his sweater at the time of the accident, was thrown from the car and landed headfirst.
Jones' brother and teammate had only minor injuries.
