WINONA, Minn. — Former Minnesota Vikings football player Everson DeWayne Griffen may have bad memories into the future about Winona. And Winona bad memories about him. After a night in the the county jail, he was led next door to appear before a judge on a bevy of charges related to a speeding stop. It was not established. what Griffen was doing in Winona. The arrest had been about 1:40 in the afternoon. Bail was set at $3,000, which he paid and left town. The misdemeanor was Griffen’s latest in a growing list of brushes the law:
> July 2023: Driving under the influence in the Minneapolis suburb of Chanhassen.
> December 2023: Driving 55 mph in a 30 zone.
> October 2023: Crashing his car into a fence and gazebo in the Minneapolis suburb of Mound.
> May 2024: Driving under the influence and cocaine possession in, as well as speeding 82 mph in a 55 zone.
> Also May 2024: Two petty misdemeanor convictions.
> Also May 2024: His driver license was revoked, and he was ordered to to abstain from alcohol and careless driving.
Griffen. Age 38. At his prime 6-foot-3 and 273 pounds.
Griffen profile
Griffen was selected by the Minnesota Vikings in the fourth round of the 2010 NFLdraft. He played 10seasns fir the Vikings, then to the Dallas Cowboys in 2020. He was traded to the Detroit Lions later in 1920, then re-signed with the Vikings in 2021. His record back with the Vikings was marked by erratic behavior:
> September 20, 2018: The team banned Griffen until he underwent a mental health evaluation.
> September 25: Griffen was taken to a hospital for a mental issue.
> October 1: Griffen allegedly threatened to shoot someone because he was not allowed in his room at the elegant Hotel Ivy in Minneapolis.
More recently:
> November 24, 2021: Griffen called 911 that intruders were attempting to enter his home. Police were unable to find any intruders. Griffen initially refused to leave his home; after several hours of contact with both law enforcement and team psychologists from the Vikings, he finally left his home and was transported to a health care facility. While holed up in house, he posted videos that showed a pistol that he purported Vikings teammate his teammate Dalvin Cook had helped him purchase.
> December 3: Word leaked that Griffen been diagnosed with bipolar disorder.