PHOENIX (AP) - An Arizona judge on Monday ordered Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Michael Floyd to serve one day in jail for failing alcohol tests that he blamed on a type of fermented tea.
The hearing was meant to give Floyd a chance to make his case regarding the failed alcohol tests and another appearance he missed earlier this month, which stemmed from a 2016 drunken driving arrest in which Scottsdale police say they found the then-Arizona Cardinals receiver passed out behind the wheel.
Floyd and his lawyer did not attend the Scottsdale City Court hearing and had a teleconference with Judge Statia Hendrix. Hendrix ordered Floyd start his additional jail time Monday evening in Phoenix before concluding his final five days of house arrest.
Vikings general manager Rick Spielman said in a statement following the hearing the organization expects Floyd to join the team at the start of training camp on July 26.
“When we signed Michael Floyd, we hoped he would show signs of improvement and we continue to expect that he shows progress and a professional attitude,” Spielman said.
Vikings officials have said they encouraged Floyd to drink a fermented tea called kombucha, which he said was the reason he was flagged for drinking alcohol and violating the terms of his house arrest.
Having pleaded guilty Feb. 17 to extreme drunken driving, with a police report of a blood-alcohol level more than 2 ½ times the legal limit in Arizona, Floyd was punished with 24 days in jail and 96 days of home confinement, plus counseling and a $5,000 fine.
Floyd was able to have the house arrest sentence, which was set to expire June 17, transferred to Minnesota a month early so he could join the Vikings for their spring practices and minicamp. Floyd moved in with former Notre Dame teammate Kyle Rudolph and his wife and twin infant daughters.
The wide receiver finished last season with Super Bowl champion New England after the drunken driving arrest led to his departure from Arizona, and he became a free agent while behind bars. The Vikings quietly began scouting the 6-foot-2, 220-pound Floyd, who was the first-round draft pick of the Cardinals in 2012, with Spielman and coach Mike Zimmer visiting him for extensive conversations.
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