UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO ATHLETE ARRESTED FOR DWI

 

UNM Football player arrested for DWI in Albuquerque.

Riddle me this – what’s more annoying: (A) The endless mudslinging political commercials that are flooding across the air waves, or (B) The back to school commercials with middle-aged teachers signing and dancing in Old Navy khaki pants?   Similar to the question that haunted the Owl from the Tootsie Pop commercials . . . the world may never know.

 

UNM Football Player Arrested for DWI

UNM Football Player Arrested for DWI

 

What is clear –  however – is that school is back in session, signaling the quickly approaching fade of summer.

But before the sun completely fades let’s take a moment to bask in the glow of change that the summer brought – particularly for UNM’s football program.

After two embarrassing seasons in 2010 and 2011 the Lobos fired head coach Mike Locksley, hiring former Notre Dame coach and ESPN analyst Bob Davie.  The Lobos also renamed University Stadium – Branch Field – after my former boss, Turner Branch, donated 1.5 million dollars to the UNM football program.

This season the Lobos will attempt to ride the wave of change to heal the black eyes that the program received during the 2010 and 2011 seasons, when the Lobos went 2-26 and were the worst team in college football – and arguably in history.

Unfortunately, in stride with the past two seasons, the Lobos have already suffered their first loss of the season before stepping foot on the field.

Early yesterday morning the Lobos’ starting cornerback was charged with suspicion of driving while intoxicated, forcing Coach Davie to immediately suspend the starter based on the arrest.

The recent arrest is new territory for Coach Davie, but familiar turf for the Lobos.

In the past, UNM football players were banned from the Downtown area after a player was arrested at the Library Bar and Grill.  In 2010 three UNM players were arrested after a nightclub brawl.  In the past, a Lobo athlete was arrested at the San Francisco International Airport after he refused to lift his sagging pajama pants.

Apparently the Lobos didn’t reach the bottom with the sagging incident.

Regarding the current charges – because this is the player’s first DWI, if convicted he faces a possibility of 90 days in jail, one year of probation, DWI school, ignition interlock for one year, and 24-48 hours of community service.

Matthew Legan Sanchez is an Albuquerque misdemeanor attorney that handles misdemeanor cases in Albuquerque.