Former Alabama Football Player Arrested On Domestic Violence Charges
01/14/2025 05:37 PM
A former Alabama Crimson Tide football player who spent years in the NFL has been arrested on domestic violence charges.
Former Alabama defensive lineman Marcell Dareus has been arrested for his involvement in an altercation that took place just before the beginning of the year. The former lineman turned himself in on Monday, and he now faces multiple charges.
Per jail records, Dareus has been charged with second-degree domestic violence and third-degree domestic violence/harassment.
Police in Hoover, Alabama were called to a home on December 30 after a woman said she had a domestic incident with her boyfriend, whom she confirmed was Dareus.
According to AL.com, Dareus pushed her girlfriend to the ground and used a metal object to hit her car, causing damage in excess of $2,500. Dareus turned himself in on the night of the incident, but was released after around an hour after posting a $36,000 bond.
Despite Dareus turning himself in, his lawyer issued a statement following his arrest.
"As with all individuals charged with a crime, any allegations by the state of Alabama is merely an accusation that has to be proven to a jury's satisfaction beyond a reasonable doubt,'' said the former defensive tackle's lawyer, Tommy Spina.
"Until that occurs, he is entitled to the constitutional protections of the presumption of innocence."
Dareus won a national championship with Alabama during the 2009 season, and won defensive MVP of the national title game that year after his pick-six against Texas. The championship was the first of seven national titles for head coach Nick Saban, and Dareus was one of Saban's first stars in Tuscaloosa.
In 2010, he earned All-American and All-SEC honors as a junior before declaring for the 2011 NFL Draft. The Bills selected Dareus with the third overall pick that year, and he would spend the first seven seasons of his career with Buffalo.
As a Bill, Dareus was selected to the Pro Bowl twice and was a first-team All-Pro back in 2014. Following his time with the Bills, Dareus would go on to play an additional three seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars, making his last NFL appearance during the 2019 season.
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