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University of Wisconsin football staffer and Super Bowl champion, Jack Del Rio, was arrested for operating while intoxicated (OWI) after reportedly hitting a street sign and crashing through a fence.
Del Rio, who joined the University of Wisconsin football staff as Senior Advisor to the Head Coach in August, reportedly ended up in a yard along South Segoe Road at Keating Terrace in Madison, Wisconsin just after 12:30 a.m. on Nov. 8.
“Wisconsin staff member Jack Del Rio, the former NFL coach, was arrested early Friday for operating while intoxicated after a car he was driving hit a street sign and broke a fence. He ‘showed signs of impairment,’ per Madison police. No injuries were reported,” ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg reported on Monday.
According to Madison Police Department spokesperson Stephanie Fryer, witnesses directed police officers to Del Rio as he was walking away from the area.
The 61-year-old, who was the linebackers coach on the Super Bowl XXXV champion Baltimore Ravens, was reported to have been transported to a area hospital for a blood draw and then was released to a responsible party.
“Wisconsin athletics is aware of the incident involving football staff member Jack Del Rio,” the university said in a statement. “We take matters like this very seriously and we are continuing to gather information.”
The 5-4 Badgers are coming off a bye week and will play the top-ranked and undefeated Oregon Ducks on Saturday.
Badger Extra reports, “Del Rio’s role with the Badgers was general support on both sides of the ball, as well as a sounding board for player personnel staff as Wisconsin prepares for a professional model brought on by proposed settlement in the House v. NCAA antitrust lawsuit. Players called Del Rio a ‘resource’ and said he would pop into meeting rooms and contribute advice.”
Del Rio played college football as a linebacker at USC, then played 11 seasons in the NFL with the Saints, Chiefs, Cowboys, and Vikings. Following his playing career, Jack Del Rio served as an assistant coach with the Saints, Ravens, Panthers, Broncos, and Commanders. He was also the head coach of the Jaguars from 2002 to 2011 and head coach of the Raiders from 2015 to 2017.
UPDATE: Jack Del Rio has reportedly resigned from his job at Wisconsin.