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NFL Team Suspends Coach for 3 Weeks Following DWI Bust

The Minnesota Vikings have disciplined one of their newest assistant coaches.

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The team announced Tuesday that defensive passing game coordinator Gerald Alexander has been suspended without pay for three weeks following his guilty plea in a drunken driving case stemming from an April arrest.

Alexander's suspension began Friday and will run through Aug. 13.

According to court records cited by ESPN, police found Alexander asleep behind the wheel of his vehicle at an intersection in the Minneapolis suburb of Edina during the early morning hours of April 26.

Authorities said he later pleaded guilty to third-degree DWI, a gross misdemeanor. He was sentenced to 48 hours of community service, ordered to pay fines and fees, and will serve two years of unsupervised probation.

"I take full responsibility for the situation I put myself in and apologize for not meeting the mark," Alexander said in a statement released by the Vikings. "I know it's unacceptable. I understand the suspension and am committed to learning from the matter and ensuring I come back a better version of myself."

The Vikings said they remained in contact with the NFL while the legal process played out before determining the appropriate discipline.

"We take these situations seriously and believe this disciplinary action is appropriate," the team said in a statement.

Alexander joined Minnesota's coaching staff earlier this year after previous stops with the Steelers, Dolphins and Raiders. He's also a former NFL safety who played five seasons before moving into coaching.