SOLON, OHIO (AP) - Former NFL quarterback Bernie Kosar blamed knee and ankle surgeries stemming from his professional career for not being able to perform a field sobriety test before he was arrested on drunken driving charges on Sunday.
The police report detailing the incident also shows Kosar refused to take a Breathalyzer test to measure his blood alcohol level.
Kosar was pulled over for speeding in suburban Cleveland early Sunday, and officers smelled a strong odor of alcohol. Kosar was arrested and his attorney entered a not guilty plea on his behalf Monday. Attorney George Simon did not immediately return a call seeking comment Tuesday.
Kosar told an officer he couldn’t perform the standard one-leg stand or walk and turn tests as he had undergone several surgeries on his knees and ankles “because his line couldn’t block.”
The report states he was driving 74 mph on a 50-mph limit street. According to the report, Kosar handed the police officer who pulled him over two credit cards when he was asked to show his driver’s license. Kosar had slurred speech and difficulty speaking.
“I asked Mr. Kosar if he could recite the alphabet starting at E and ending at W,” the police officer stated on the report. “Mr. Kosar started E, F, G, P, L, M, O, Q and from there it trailed on with more letters that were not correct and ended at X.”
A Dec. 9 pretrial hearing has been scheduled in Bedford Municipal Court.
The 49-year-old Kosar, who played with Cleveland, Dallas and Miami, has publicly talked about how head injuries sustained during his NFL career have affected his speech, making him sometimes slur his words. He has also been addicted to pain medications and had financial troubles.
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