If you've ever knocked back a few alcoholic beverages in your day, you know that aside from the occasional beer bong and splitting headache that follows a night of drinking, late night cravings for some greasy food usually come standard. There are a ton of options for late-night treats, but none are more satisfying if you live in the South than a Double Meat Whataburger with a side of fries. Don't believe me? Just ask Darren McFadden.
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The former Oakland Raiders and Dallas Cowboys running back was arrested at a Whataburger drive-thru in McKinney, Texas, which was about four miles from his home north of Dallas, according to The Dallas Morning News. The former No. 4 overall pick in the 2008 NFL Draft wasn't just drunk at a fast food joint, though. He fell asleep behind the wheel of his 2019 GMC Yukon while waiting in the drive-thru line.
Darren McFadden Arrest
According to police records from the Collin County Sheriff's Office, Darren Graylon McFadden was arrested and charged for driving while intoxicated and resisting arrest, search or transport.
Police said that employees of the Whataburger called about a man who had fallen asleep in the drive-through just after midnight on the morning of January 21, 2019. TMZ Sports reported that the then-31-year-old resisted police when they arrived, and his driver's side and passenger windows were broken during the incident.
He was released from the Collin County Jail on personal recognizance the following morning.
McFadden was charged with driving while intoxicated (DWI) and resisting arrest, but according to TMZ Sports, he reached a plea deal to have his resisting arrest charge dropped. McFadden served three days in jail, lost his license for 90 days, and paid his fines.
McFadden's arrest video was obtained and released by TMZ, and to put it mildly, it's shocking.
Darren McFadden Arrest Video
The video shows officers approaching McFadden's car to find him asleep at the wheel. First, they knock on the window. Then, the shake the car trying to wake him up. Suddenly, the car's tires begin spinning as McFadden's foot hits the gas and powers against the side of the building. Officers begin breaking the car windows in an attempt to wake up McFadden, who eventually wakes up.
After a brief struggle with three officers, he was detained.
Darren McFadden Football Career
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McFadden was a highly-touted football player coming out of North Little Rock's Oak Grove High School, and he turned down offers from Alabama, Tennessee and Auburn to head to Fayetteville.
He blossomed into one of the most prolific running backs in college football history during his time playing for the University of Arkansas Razorbacks. In three seasons, McFadden ran for the third-most rushing yards in SEC history (4,590) and was the Heisman Trophy runner-up in back-to-back seasons finishing behind Ohio State's Troy Smith (2006) and Florida's Tim Tebow (2007).
The two-time Doak Walker Award winner played in the same backfield as Peyton Hillis and Felix Jones, the latter of which rushed for 2,956 yards himself. Needless to say, that group gashed SEC defenses like Georgia and LSU.
The cover athlete of the "NCAA Football 09" video game still holds the SEC record for most rushing yards in one game when he racked up 321 yards against South Carolina back in 2007.
On January 7, 2019, it was announced that the two-time consensus All-American would be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
After a stellar collegiate career, the pride of Little Rock, Arkansas was the fourth overall pick by the Oakland Raiders in the 2008 NFL Draft. Various knee and foot injuries limited McFadden throughout his NFL career, and he managed to play in all 16 games for the Raiders in just two seasons and surpass the 1,000-rushing yard mark only twice.
After being usurped by Ezekiel Elliott following the 2016 and 2017 seasons with the Cowboys, McFadden retired from professional football averaging 52.6 yards per game and scoring 33 touchdowns over his 10-year career playing against teams like the Philadelphia Eagles, New York Giants and Atlanta Falcons.
Former Dallas Cowboys RB Darren McFadden hasn't been out of pro football long, and it's safe to say that the return to the spotlight on a DWI charge isn't something he's going to want to hang around very long.
Darren McFadden Now
Years after McFadden's NFL career, he appears to be a big family man.
He and his wife, Tita McFadden, have two young daughters that they're raising. The two met back when the running back was carrying the ball for the Oakland Raiders. Tita told Whole Hog Sports she had no idea who he was.
"I told him I was not familiar with his name and the only reason I was talking to him was he's kind of cute," she said back in 2017.
McFadden is still a huge Arkansas Razorbacks fan. Back in 2019 when the team was looking for a new head coach, the former rusher posted his thoughts on Twitter.
"Whoever we bring in I hope they can keep our home grown talent in state. If you look back the majority of the time when we've had successful teams the core group of guys are from Arkansas," he wrote.
Considering McFadden made more than $49 million in the NFL, it's no surprise he's worth an estimated $20 million in 2021, per Celebrity Net Worth.
While McFadden still makes public appearances, he might be set financially for a long time.
This post was originally published on November 23, 2020.
