Photo: Loudoun County Sheriff's Department
Former NFL cornerback Fred Smoot was arrested for "failure to comply with a support obligation," the Loudon County (Va.) Sheriff's Department announced last Friday (August 11) via ESPN.
Smoot, 44, who spent his nine-year career with the now-Washington Commanders and Minnesota Vikings, surrendered to police Thursday (August 10) morning and claimed he was unaware of the charges against him because the arrest warrants were served to an address where he no longer lived, a source with knowledge of the situation told ESPN. The former cornerback was reportedly released from jail on Friday.
Smoot works as a postgame analyst during the Commanders' game-day broadcasts and appears on in-house programs, but is not considered a full-time employee of the organization, which declined to comment on his arrest. The Mississippi native had previously been sentenced to six months of probation for driving under the influence in 2013 and charged with domestic violence the following year, though a judge found him not guilty.
Smoot had also been cited for several traffic violations. The former Mississippi State standout was selected by the Commanders at No. 45 overall in the second-round of the 2001 NFL Draft and spent his first four seasons with the franchise.
Smoot signed with the Minnesota Vikings in 2005 as part of a tenure that was best remembered for being at the center of the team's "Love Boat" scandal in which several players rented a boat on Lake Minnetonka and reportedly hired prostitutes for a sex party. Smoot later pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges in relation to the "Love Boat" incident.
Smoot returned to Washington in 2007 and spent his final three seasons with the franchise before appearing in his last NFL game in 2009. The 44-year-old recorded 450 tackles, 21 interceptions, 11 tackles for loss, 85 pass deflections, three fumble recoveries and one touchdown during his nine-year career.