It was revealed yesterday that former Eagles and Browns GM and current Broncos director of director of pro personnel, Tom Heckert, was arrested last month on suspicion of drunk driving.
Heckert's arrest for DUI is actually the second such incident to hit the Broncos front office in the past few days. On Sunday, the team's director of player personnel Matt Russell was arrested for DUI after he crashed his 2008 Toyota Tundra into a police SUV.
I am extremely disappointed that in my short time with the Broncos I have made such a serious mistake," Heckert said in a statement. "My actions last month have brought embarrassment to the organization, and I fully understand the consequences that are involved. I am truly sorry and take complete responsibility for this situation."
"Although I have let many people down, I will learn from this and work toward regaining the trust that I have lost."
For even one member of your front office to be involved in something like this is bad enough. But two? This is a major issue for the Broncos, who now have to have serious doubts about the guys that are supposed to be the ones judging the character of players. These are a couple of the major leaders of that organization.
The team said that Heckert's actions were part of a "disturbing pattern."
"We were made aware of the matter involving Tom Heckert immediately after it occurred and promptly notified the league office. His arrest is extremely upsetting, and this situation is being handled internally as well as in coordination with NFL policies. Tom's actions are obviously part of a disturbing pattern of irresponsible behavior that we are aggressively addressing within our organization.
"One member of the Broncos arrested for driving under the influence is one too many. This type of behavior puts innocent people at risk and cannot be tolerated. While our team and league supply plenty of resources to prevent these situations, it is clear we need to do better. We are thoroughly reviewing the procedures we have in place and will do whatever it takes to enhance their effectiveness going forward."
The most important thing is obviously that no one got hurt, but this is certainly disappointing news about the former Eagles GM.