BEVO BEAT Football Longhorns starting offensive lineman Kent Perkins charged with DWI Offensive guard booked into Travis County jail at 4:54 a.m. Friday Posted September 23rd, 2016


UPDATE (12:10 p.m.): University of Texas football player Kent Perkins was arrested early Friday and charged with driving while intoxicated.

Perkins, 21, was taken into custody following a single-vehicle collision, according to a probable-cause affidavit filed on Friday.

A Travis County constable working overtime spotted a Dodge Challenger stopped in the driver-through lane at a Raising Cane’s restaurant shortly before 2:45 a.m. The constable approached the car and found the driver asleep inside, the affidavit said.


When he woke the driver to tell him he needed to move, he drove away. The constable told investigators that he heard a loud crash about 10 seconds after the car drove off.

The constable went to check out what happened and found the car wrecked in a parking lot on the east curb line of San Antonio Street. He grabbed the keys out of the ignition and called Austin police.

An officer arrived shortly after and found the vehicle with a trail of fluids leading back to the roadway. The driver, who was identified in the affidavit as Perkins, was asleep in the driver’s seat.

“(The officer) woke Perkins to speak with him and Perkins fell back asleep,” the affidavit said.

The affidavit said the officer pulled Perkins out of the car and could smell a strong odor of alcohol on his breath.

Perkins, a senior offensive lineman from Lake Highlands, was booked into the Travis County Jail at 4:54 a.m. but later released after posting bail, according to jail records.

Click here to read the affidavit.

UPDATE (11:00 a.m.) Perkins has left the Travis County jail after posting a bond.

Kent Perkins has left the Travis County Jail. Records show he posted a $4,000 bond. — Brian Davis (@BDavisAAS) September 23, 2016

UPDATE (8:58 a.m.): Head coach Charlie Strong issued a statement this morning:

“We are aware of the situation involving Kent Perkins and gathering facts at this time. We’re disappointed in his actions and take a strong stance against drinking and driving. When you get behind the wheel after drinking, you not only risk your life, but the lives of others, and that’s something you just can’t do. We will make sure that Kent learns from this and handle any punishment once we have more information.”

EARLIER: University of Texas football player Kent Perkins, 21, was arrested on Friday morning and charged with driving while intoxicated, Austin police confirmed.

Perkins, a senior offensive lineman from Lake Highlands, was booked into the Travis County Jail at 4:54 a.m., according to jail records.

Austin Police Department Lt. Brian Gretzner said officers pulled Perkins over near 18th and San Antonio streets, just southwest of the UT campus, at 2:52 a.m. and took him into custody without incident.

On the field, Perkins has been a key member of the Longhorns’ offensive line, having started 26 games in his career. The 6-foot-5, 320-pound Perkins started for Texas against Notre Dame and Cal at right guard. He missed the UTEP game with an injury.

Texas coach Charlie Strong has said players can lose their scholarship by breaking one of his five core values. Be honest, no guns, no stealing, no drugs and players must treat women with respect.

Off-field player issues have been almost non-existent since Strong’s first season in 2014. That year, two players were dismissed for an alleged sexual assault in the dorms, and eight others were eventually dismissed for violations of team rules.

This is a breaking news story. More details will be added as they become available.

Editor’s note: The original version of this story has been updated to add Perkins’ age.

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