The unbelievable events at the PGA Championship on Friday which saw the No. 1 golfer in the world arrested sadly aren’t an isolated incident involving athletes and law enforcement.
Scottie Scheffler joins a long list of pros across all sports that have been nabbed by the long arm of the law for a variety of reasons.
Scheffler, who was charged with four offences on Friday morning — second-degree assault of a police officer; third-degree criminal mischief, reckless driving, disregarding traffic signals from an officer — was able to make his tee time at Valhalla Golf Club, but many on this list weren’t nearly as lucky.
Rashee Rice
Speed is something that the Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver is used to — both on the field and off of it, apparently.
In late March, Rice was involved in a high-speed hit and run on a highway in Dallas. Rice and a friend were seen on video racing at high speeds before causing a collision that damaged four other cars.
Video obtained by the Dallas Morning News showed five men disembarking from the Lamborghini — driven by Rice — and Corvette before leaving the scene on foot without checking on the occupants of the other vehicles. Two people were transported to hospital and two others were treated for minor injuries at the scene.
Rice later met with Dallas police and, in a statement, took “full responsibility” for his part in the collision.
He was charged with one count of aggravated assault, one count of collision involving serious bodily injury, and six counts of collision involving injuries.
To make his legal matters even worse, Dallas police announced earlier this month that Rice is under investigation for allegedly hitting a man at a downtown Dallas club.
The NFL is investigating with a suspension reportedly looking likely.
Mike Tyson
One of the most feared men to ever step inside a boxing ring, Tyson was also dangerous outside of it.
In 1991, Tyson was arrested and charged with the rape of an 18-year-old woman in an Indianapolis hotel room. He was convicted and sentenced to six years in prison, but only served three before being released on parole.
Tyson returned to the ring and regained two of his championships, before losing to Evander Holyfield and being involved in increasingly bizarre stories outside of the ring.
Tyson has toned things down since his retirement from the ring though and remains in the public eye. He currently is set to take in YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul in a professionally sanctioned boxing match this July which will be streamed live on Netflix.
Dani Alves
The fullback was a major piece of Barcelona’s championship-winning teams and holds the record as the most decorated man in men’s soccer with 43 career titles.
But the Brazilian’s soccer career ended in infamy when he was arrested in 2023 on sexual assault charges stemming from an alleged incident at a Barcelona nightclub in late 2022.
Alves was accused of assaulting and raping a woman, and while he initially denied even knowing who the woman is, he also has changed his account of events at least five times when interviewed by police over the past year.
After spending a year in prison awaiting trial, Alves was found guilty of rape and was sentenced to four and half years behind bars.
However, Alves was released from jail on $1.48 million bail a month later with the conditions that he surrender his passports, keep his distance from the victim and appear in court weekly.
Michael Vick
The Atlanta Falcons quarterback was one of the biggest stars in the NFL when he was arrested and suspended by the league for his prominent role in a dog-fighting ring.
In July 2007, Vick and three others were indicted on federal felony charges of operating an unlawful interstate dog fighting ring known as Bad Newz Kennels.
Vick admitted to providing most of the financing for the operation and to directly participating in several dog fights in four different states.
He also admitted that he knew his colleagues killed several dogs who did not perform well and that he took part in the killings of 6–8 dogs by hanging, beating and drowning.
He would spend 21 months in prison and was able to return to the NFL following his release. He signed with the Philadelphia Eagles for the 2009 season and play through the 2015 season with several teams before retiring.
Aaron Hernandez
The New England Patriots tight end was a rising star in the NFL before his off-field demons got the better of him.
Hernandez was arrested in June 2013 and charged with first-degree murder in the death of Odin Lloyd, a close friend, in addition to five gun-related charges.
The Patriots released Hernandez roughly 90 minutes after his arrest, before being officially informed of the charges against him.
After pleading not guilty and going to trial, Hernandez was found guilty of murder in the first degree, a charge that in Massachusetts automatically carries a sentence of life in prison without any possibility of parole. He also was found guilty of five firearm charges.
Hernandez was found dead in his cell in April 2017, hanging with bed sheets from the window, five days after he was acquitted of a separate 2012 double homicide.
Tiger Woods
Scheffler isn’t the only golfer to get into some legal hot water, with one of the greatest of all time featured in a mugshot of his own.
Woods was arrested in May 2017 for suspicion of driving under the influence when he was found asleep behind the wheel of a running car.
He was found to have two sleep drugs, two painkillers and the active ingredient for marijuana in his system when he was arrested, according to AP.
He would later plead guilty to reckless driving and agree to undergo a 12-month probation diversionary program for first-time offenders and pay a $250 fine.