Former New England Patriots star Malcolm Butler appeared in a Rhode Island courtroom Thursday to answer to a drunken driving charge.
He was arraigned during the morning session at Kent County District Court in Warwick and entered a not guilty plea. He is scheduled to return to court on April 18 but also has to appear in traffic court on Friday.
Butler, the hero of Super Bowl XLIX, was found by a police officer blocking a lane on Mineral Spring Avenue near the ramps to Route 146 in North Providence with his car, a white Mercedes, about 3:22 a.m. on March 16, according to a police report.
An officer who spoke with him noted a strong smell of alcohol on his breath, slurred speech and bloodshot eyes, according to the report. He allegedly refused to take a series of field sobriety tests and was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence.
According to the police report, Butler handed over his license, telling officers that he was on his way back from a music studio in Providence.
He's facing a DUI charge and two violations for refusing to submit to a chemical test and parking or stopping in an intersection. NBC10 Boston reached out to Butler's attorney, John Harwood, but he said he was too busy to speak.
Butler, 34, started four seasons for the Patriots, helping them win the 2015 Super Bowl over the Seattle Seahawks and Super Bowl LI over the Atlanta Falcons the following year. But in the Super Bowl LII loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, a game where the Patriots struggled to consistently get defensive stops, he played only three special teams snaps, a move that remains a mystery to this day.
He was featured prominently in the Apple TV+ series "The Dynasty," which focused an episode on the still unexplained benching.
The cornerback left the Patriots to sign with the Tennessee Titans that offseason. He returned to the team in 2022 but was released before the start of the season with an injury settlement.
Butler announced his retirement from the NFL earlier this month. For his career, he had 17 interceptions in 100 games played.
