Former Browns QB Bernie Kosar Arrested for DUI

The latest chapter in the Bernie Kosar saga is predictably sad.

Bernie Kosar, the troubled former quarterback of the troubled Browns, was pulled over just before 3 AM on Sunday for speeding in suburban Cleveland.

The officer who pulled him over noticed a strong odor of alcohol emanating from Kosar, who was alone in his vehicle, prompting him to conduct a field sobriety test. Which Kosar promptly failed.

The Solon police officers then placed Kosar under arrest for driving under the influence and hauled him into jail. Thus far he has not returned any phone calls from reporters seeking a comment.

This is just the latest chapter in the troubled saga that is Kosar’s life.

In 2009 he was forced to file for bankruptcy protection in Florida, having been seriously burned by the collapse in the state’s real-estate market. Court documents filed in the case revealed a very grim financial situation.

Kosar owed millions in debts to various parties and was hit very hard in his divorce settlement with ex-wife Babette, which cost him over $3 million. Among the debts were unpaid taxes, some of which dated back over a decade.

Unfortunately, his problems have extended well beyond his bank account. The injuries Kosar sustained during his career in the NFL have reportedly caused occasional slurred speech and left him in chronic pain, ultimately resulting in an addiction to prescription pain medication.

Kosar’s complicated relationship with his father has been well documented, as have the problems he’s experienced raising his three daughters.

This season he’s been working as a color commentator for the Browns, and a telling incident in August revealed that Kosar has a tendency to say exactly what’s on his mind. Which could explain the issues he’s experienced in dealing with teenage girls.

In a preseason game against the Rams, Kosar railed against St. Louis. He was particularly harsh on their receivers, telling play-by-play man Jim Donovan that if their parents were watching the game, they should “be embarrassed.”

Donovan tried to lead Kosar in a less ugly direction, but he resisted. After the incident Rams coach Jeff Fisher said publicly that he had lost respect for Kosar, who was told to tone down the negativity.

Browns CEO Joe Banner issued a statement regarding Kosar’s comments:

“We don’t condone the personal and unprofessional approach that Bernie took with some of his comments during the broadcast Thursday night. … We’ve spoken to Bernie, he understands that, and we would expect the situation is resolved moving forward. We’ve also reached out to the Rams organization and have shared those same sentiments.”

Kosar’s DUI arrest is certainly proof that whatever was behind the string of bizarre interviews he did in late 2012 is far from behind him. Early this year he claimed that some sort of miracle doctor had been healing him, but provided little more than his word.

Let’s hope this latest incident finally triggers something positive for Kosar, otherwise this story is only going to get sadder.