Jordan Addison had reached 140 mph while driving a Lamborghini Urus east on Interstate 94 last July. He was pulled over by a state trooper after 3 a.m. and ticketed.
He was not taken to jail to cool for a few hours after this egregious act of driving, which was the first mistake in dealing with this knucklehead.
The trooper let him go. And when asked for comment by the media, the Vikings offered this forceful statement:
“We are aware of last night’s traffic incident involving Jordan Addison and are gathering additional information.”
Addison was allowed to skate, with a petty misdemeanor, a $686 fine and a six-month driver’s license suspension. The Vikings might have made him run a couple of laps.
The then-rookie did bring comfort to those fearful to be on the road at the same time as his Lambo with a statement of having “made a mistake” and using “poor judgment.”
Also: “I recognize and own that. I’m going to learn from that and will not repeat the behavior.”
Addison wasn’t lying, because the next time he was apprehended for dangerous operation of an expensive vehicle, he wasn’t moving 140 in a Lambo … he was moving zero in a Rolls Royce.
The excuse offered to the Minnesota trooper last July by Addison that he was racing to tend to a sick dog. He must have been terribly rattled by the dog’s illness, because he was speeding east and his residence was west.
I’m guessing Addison had a much tougher time coming up with such a brilliant excuse to a California trooper on Friday night, since it’s always difficult to think clearly in the moments after being awakened.
Addison was full-stopped in the white Rolls, blocking a lane, and sleeping. On a Los Angeles freeway near LAX.
This time, he was booked on suspicion of driving under the influence, and released at 1:36 a.m. on Saturday.
Once again, the Vikings were on it, releasing this statement: “We are aware of Jordan Addison’s arrest and are currently gathering more information.”
The Vikings are not new to knucklehead receivers. Prior to Addison, my vote would go to Percy Harvin, based primarily on longevity over Koren Robinson.
Harvin didn’t make it out of the Atlanta airport on his way to an introductory news conference in the Twin Cities, setting an early standard for unreliability.
He also had a rare type of 24-hour flu that showed up on Wednesdays, causing him to miss that mid-week practice.
Robinson could sit in front of his locker and convince you 100% that he had put his past problems in the rearview mirror. Next thing in that mirror would be a state trooper, chasing him through St. Peter at 104 mph as Koren tried to make curfew in Mankato.
I would now put Addison at the top of the list, quite an achievement considering he will be entering only his second season.
Addison’s ascent is based on the tragic circumstance that preceded his arrest in L.A. by only a few days.
Khyree Jackson, a cornerback drafted in the fourth round in April, was killed on July 6 along with two friends and former football teammates in a 3 a.m. crash in Upper Marlboro, Md.
Cori Clingman, 23, was the driver with two passengers in an Infiniti that collided with the Dodge Charger in which Jackson was riding. The preliminary report was that she bumped the Charger while trying to cut in front at high speed. The police said alcohol may have been a contributing factor.
High speed, 3 a.m., youthful drivers. If you’ve been driving I-94 between St. Paul and Minneapolis almost any time from early evening onward, you fear what might have been happening here.
Traffic’s not too thick, you’re going 65, and a vehicle comes darting through, cutting in front of cars in three lanes in a few seconds. You know to stay right where you are because another of these speeding vehicles will be doing the same in a few seconds.
A friend from Woodbury said: “I-94 is now the autobahn for some drivers.”
No further report yet on the fatal crash with Jackson as a passenger, but us city folks have seen too many high-speed moments of bravado to be shocked completely.
The next day, there was a post on X from Addison, along with many others, wishing Jackson a form of Godspeed. Soon after that, Addison’s speed had dropped from 140 to zero on a freeway.
But don’t worry. The Vikings are gathering more information.
