Josh Portis, backup quarterback, is already feeling repercussions from the DUI (driving under the influence) arrest he received on “Cinco de Mayo” May 5th. As of yesterday, the Seattle Seahawks officially announced Portis had been released from the team because of his DUI run-in. Portis not only threw away his prestigious position of professional backup quarterback but also the $480,000.00 annual salary that went along with it, OUCH! Josh has yet to play in a professional game.
According to Washington State police reports, on May 5th around 9:30PM Josh Portis was driving 80 mph in a 60 mph zone heading eastbound on the I-90 floating bridge. Washington State troopers pulled the 2008 Range Rover over for speeding, and when they approached the drivers’ window they reported there was “a strong odor of intoxicants coming from the vehicle” and the driver, Portis, had “watery bloodshot eyes.” Troopers suspected drunk driving even though the 25-year-old athlete stated he did not have anything to drink and was on his way home from Seattle. Portis agreed to take the field sobriety tests and refused the DUI breathalyzer test during the DUI investigation.
Josh Portis was arrested for DUI and was taken to the Washington State Patrol headquarters. While there, Portis submitted two breath tests that revealed blood alcohol concentrations of 0.092 and 0.078. The legal BAC limit in Washington State is 0.08. Later Josh admitted to the arresting trooper that he did have tequila earlier that evening and that he lied earlier because he was nervous. Portis was charged with a misdemeanor DUI.
Portis will need to hire a strong DUI defense attorney for his case, his career is depending on it. With recent DUI tragedies in the local news, Washington State continues to lower its tolerance and sympathy for individuals who choose to drive drunk including professional athletes.
Written by S.O