Former University of Hawaii star wide receiver Davone Bess has been in the news the past few days for some erratic behavior that led to his Friday arrest at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. The details of the incident are bizarre.
Former University of Hawaii star wide receiver Davone Bess has been in the news the past few days for some erratic behavior that led to his Friday arrest at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.
The details of the incident are bizarre. Apparently Bess, 28, was walking “irrationally” through the airport concourse, singing and dancing before being approached by officer Thomas O’Brien. Bess had a cup of coffee, which he squeezed causing the liquid to spill onto the officer. Bess allegedly got into a fighting stance, at which time O’Brien struck him in the leg with his baton, though it seemed to have no effect. Bess then removed his shirt and got into a fighting stance again before additional officers arrived to take him into custody.
He was charged with simple assault of an officer, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest without violence and released on $100 bail. He was not charged with any drug-related offenses, though officer O’Brien stated he felt Bess was under the influence and “appeared to be looking through me when I was talking to him” in his police report.
Drugs have become a common theme with Bess as of late. He posted a photo of himself smoking marijuana and another of his table with marijuana and a cigar on it, presumably about to roll a blunt, on his own social media accounts.
Bess spent this season with the Cleveland Browns after being traded by the Miami Dolphins last year on Draft day. It was a disappointing season through 14 games and Bess was then placed on the reserve/non-football illness list, keeping him out of the final two contests. The reason for that designation is still unclear, though he was supposedly dealing with a family issue.
After his Friday arrest, the Miami Herald reported that Bess had an incident on March 11, 2013, in which the Broward Sheriff’s Office was called to Bess’ home in Cooper City, Fla. Bess was being unsuccessfully restrained by a number of men while screaming non sequiturs, including “I want to get in the end zone; throw me the football.” Six officers managed to subdue Bess and he was not arrested, but hospitalized against his will.
The episode may have been sprung by a severe case of insomnia, with his mother stating that Bess had not slept in three days while going through personal issues, according to the Herald report. The Cleveland Plain Dealer then reported Friday that insomnia has again been a problem for Bess recently, in addition to other personal problems.
Bess’ image will undoubtedly take a hit in the coming days and while he is well-known here and in Miami, where he spent the first five years of his NFL career, he will probably only now become known to much of the general public. His image will be one of an erratic individual who has issues with authority and enjoys recreational drug use. Whether that encompasses who Davone Bess is, I don’t know. I’ve never met him.
But up until now, Bess has been considered something of an ambassador, especially dealing with kids. He started The Bess Route Foundation in South Florida, where he has stressed the idea of seeing the positives in life in numerous speeches and appearances at underpriveleged high schools. The foundation has started a mentorship program where high school students, or “Bess Friends” speak with younger kids and meet multiple times a month to provide positive role models.
He was also the Dolphins’ nominee for the 2011 Walter Payton Man of the Year Award, given out annually by the NFL to a player for their volunteer and charity work.
Leaving the jailhouse Friday, Bess did not appear irrational, though maybe aloof. Answering reporters’ questions on the way to his car, he repeated “Rastafari” and gave his fans the message of “One love.” Asked what he planned to do now, he said “Get back to helping kids all over the world.”
I can understand people having a difficult time reconciling the seemingly divergent sides of Bess. Is he the hard-working player who overcame obstacles and hoped to give others like him a chance to succeed? Or is he a troubled individual who takes drugs and suffers from mental and possibly physical disorders?
The answer, as it always does, lies somewhere in the middle. The more public recent actions don’t eliminate the good he has done any more than his charity work would excuse breaking the law. But hopefully this hasn’t defined Bess completely and if he needs help, he gets it.
Bess arrived at UH in 2005 after having served 15 months in a juvenile detention facility. He quickly became one of the program’s most productive players ever, earning All-WAC First Team honors in each of his three seasons as a Warrior. He was a redemption story then. Hopefully he can be one again.
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