Former Razorback Jonathan Williams Arrested on DWI Charge

It has been a frustrating year for Jonathan Williams between his injury and not suiting up for a final go-around, but it appeared his fifth-round selection in this year’s NFL Draft by the Buffalo Bills had him back on track.

That was until early Thursday when Williams was pulled over and arrested in Fayetteville for a misdemeanor charge of driving while intoxicated.

This incident is doubly interesting now due to the comments Bret Bielema made at SEC Media Days about keeping his players and program clean and largely not having to discipline his players by way of suspension as well as not seeing any of his players in the headlines in a negative light.

Here’s what Bielema said Wednesday:

We went from a ratio of X number of days every player had been arrested before I got there to I believe we went through an almost 18-month window without any player having any significant trouble, and I've only had a handful since we've been there.

....

... You represent us in the best fashion possible. You kept your nose clean. You don't have to worry whether or not -- if I'm going suspend anybody for the first game. It doesn't come up in our program.

Not to say it won't. At some time it may rear its ugly head. In four years I never had to make a decision about the opening game if I'm going to start somebody or not. It is just something I believe in. If you do enough good things off the field and you represent what you want both on and off it, things are going to eventually go your way.

The police report reads Williams told the officer he had had only one beer, and refused to take a breathalyzer test, which was advised, apparently, by his agent. He was then booked in the Washington County jail and released two hours after booking.

The running back had a successful career at Arkansas despite missing his senior season following a torn ligament in fall camp sidelined him for the Razorbacks’ 8-5 season. He rushed for 2,321 yards and 16 touchdowns in 36 career games.

We certainly hope he can land on his feet and has a successful career in the pros.