Derrick Ward, a former running back and a member of the 2008 Super Bowl-winning New York Giants team, has been arrested in Los Angeles on suspicion of robbery.
Ward, 43, was taken into custody on Monday in the North Hollywood area, as confirmed by the police. He is currently held on $250,000 bail, according to a Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department inmate search website.
Details regarding the alleged crime have not been immediately provided by the police, and it remains unclear whether Ward has legal representation to speak on his behalf.
An inquiry by The Associated Press to the police department for information was not returned as of Tuesday evening. According to NBC News, Ward is accused of robbing five businesses, including gas stations, without the use of a firearm during the alleged incidents.
Ward was drafted by the New York Jets in the seventh round in 2004 but was cut before playing a regular-season game. He went on to play for the Giants from 2004 to 2008, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2009, and the Houston Texans from 2010 to 2011 before retiring from the NFL in 2012.
During his tenure with the Giants, Ward was part of the formidable trio of running backs, along with Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw, known as “Earth, Wind, and Fire.” However, Ward did not play in the game due to a broken leg.
In 2009, Ward signed a four-year, $17 million contract with the Buccaneers but was released the following year and subsequently joined the Texans.
Ward, a native of Los Angeles who attended Valley View High School in Moreno Valley, has found himself entangled in this legal matter.
