Texas A&M Football: Christian Kirk was arrested before the 2018 NFL Draft
By Jeff Shull
Former Texas A&M football wide receiver Christian Kirk was arrested prior to the 2018 NFL Draft while leaving the Waste Management Phoenix Open.
The Waste Management Phoenix Open has a reputation for being a wild party of a golf tournament. Apparently it got the better of a former Texas A&M football player who was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft.
According to a report by azcentral.com, Christian Kirk was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct at the event, which was a little over two months prior to the draft.
"Kirk and some friends were seen throwing rocks at cars outside the golf tournament on Feb. 3. He was charged with disorderly conduct and proper damage and the case is pending.According to Scottsdale Police: “The suspects were intoxicated and leaving the WMPO. As they were walking through a parking lot, security personnel observed them throwing rocks at cars and breaking a window of at least one of them.”"
However, the Cardinals released a statement saying they were aware of the incident.
"“We spoke with Christian about it at length and also looked into it independently. Our understanding is that the process will be resolved in the near future but while it remains an active legal matter, we won’t comment further.”"
This comes out on the heels of several reports that Kirk and No. 10 overall pick Josh Rosen were developing great chemistry at the team’s rookie camp over the weekend. They even apparently roomed together.
Although he didn’t fall much farther than most expected in relation to when the other top tier wide receivers were drafted, this incident could explain why he fell out of the first round and all the way to the 47th pick. Clearly, if the Cardinals were aware of the situation, it makes sense to believe all 31 other teams were aware of it as well.
This shouldn’t affect Kirk’s status in his rookie season. It is the first time he has ever been in any kind of trouble. There isn’t reason to believe this was anything more than just a one-time mistake. I’m sure Kirk has learned from it and is ready to accept the consequences and move forward with his NFL career.
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The Cardinals selecting Kirk was one of the feel-good stories from the early rounds. He is from the Scottsdale area and even attended some of the same high school camps as Rosen. The two are expected to be the future of the franchise.
Jeff Shull is the Site Expert for the Gig Em Gazette on FanSided. Follow him on Twitter, and be sure to follow the Gig Em Gazette on Facebook and Twitter.